The Life of Pi'erre 5

by Pi'erre Bourne

Released June 11, 2021 via SossBoy Records / Interscope Records

Reviewed June 21, 2021

Top tracks (based on community voting)

4U (48%), Switching Lanes (33%), 42 (33%)

The fifth installment of this emphatic producer’s discography, The Life of Pi’erre 5, delivers with no remorse. Known for his transitions and loved for his simplicity, Pierre seems to have mastered what he knows best and decided to bless our ears once again this summer. But the features do not deliver. Playboi Carti’s verse is incomplete and old, and the Uzi verse does not bring the energy Pierre does on “Sossboy 2.” Sharc is a standout among the features on “Drunk And Nasty,” though his verse is still largely forgettable. Now that that truth has been said: Pi’erre has a true talent for creating soundscapes unlike any other producer. The simplicity of his beats is mirrored by his lyrics, which have improved quite a bit from TLOP4. “HULU” is a great example of Pi’erre stepping his game up this year. There are many songs over 4 minutes, which is rare for this genre of trap, and each song seems to evolve while you listen—in contrast to the somewhat fleeting, albeit exquisite, thoughts that made up TLOP4. – Daniel (10/10)

About two years since the release of The Life Of Pi’erre 4, Pi’erre Bourne returns with a bouncier evolution to the project that put his name (as a rapper) on the map. It’s reminiscent of Metro Boomin’s Not All Heroes Wear Capes with seamlessly gorgeous transitions between songs, but Pi’erre’s found his lane—or you could say…switched into his lane—production-wise with how colorful the beats are. Lyrical deficiencies aside, Pi’erre finds “pockets” in these beats and raps on them perfectly. As a result, he shines when it comes to ear-catching flows and hooks. It does drag a little, given Pi’erre’s repetitive nature, the fact that over a quarter of the songs run 4 ½ minutes or more, and the album itself is more than an hour. All in all, The Life Of Pi’erre 5 might not be as good as TLOP 4 (or its deluxe), but it’s a solid album on its own that shows growth as a producer and rapper. – Alan (8.2/10)

The Life of Pi’erre 5, whether shuffled or in chronological order, sounds perfectly arranged. Its transitions are smooth regardless of what had come before; the beats are vibrant and colorful, while never stagnating in the listener’s head. Although Pi’erre has a very simple style lyrically, his flows stick to these beats like glue. The lyrical simplicity contrasts with the instrumental juggernaut that Pi’erre is, creating an album of nonstop energy. To expect anything outside of Pi’erre’s skill set would set the listener up for disappointment. There’s also a haze—this kind of indescribable fuzzy feeling—coating each of these beats. Especially on “Retroville,” the instrumental bottles up a dreamlike, nostalgic feeling towards no specific memory in particular, while Pi’erre’s lyrics are a direct quantification of that sentiment. This album is a coloring book in a child’s lap. In the eyes of that mind, every picture is perfectly constructed when they’re done coloring. Anything added further enriches each page’s image. This project is entirely and unapologetically Pi’erre, and that sentiment breathes life into every listen. – Ben (Synth) (8/10)

Apart from lending a huge hand in some iconic trap anthems, I’ve never perceived Pi’erre Bourne as anything more than yet another commercially viable, by-the-numbers producer. Even in its deluxe form, The Life of Pi’erre 4 was relatively dry, even vapid at times. His collaborative mixtape with Young Nudy, Sli’merre, wasn’t a snooze fest, but I didn’t find myself coming back to it all that often. However, the beats on The Life of Pi’erre 5 are more vibrant, bouncy, and flavourful than I’ve ever heard on solo Pi’erre material. “Switching Lanes'' fickly flutters side to side while Pi’erre croons a neat hook, his vocals drenched in sugary autotune. Despite Playboi Carti’s lackluster feature, from track three onwards, The Life of Pi’erre 5’s colourful ear-candy is consistently ambrosial. It doesn’t need to be taken awfully seriously, and Pi’erre is aware of this. Everything is very straightforward, with developments or detours in beats only occurring to usher in the next track, expertly done in the nocturnal last portions of “Couch” and “Practice”, for example. Some might complain that cuts overstay their welcome, but a lasting issue I’ve had with many trap records is that they haven’t been long enough. The Life of Pi’erre 5 isn’t trying to be profound, and it even has some laughable bars – “boy you fake, David Blaine / remember when I used to take the train” – making it an easy, light journey, perfectly fitting as both harmless background music or a studiable soundtrack. TLOP5 tastes good; let’s just hope it doesn’t spoil. – Cam (8/10)