Whole Lotta Red

by Playboi Carti

Released December 25, 2020 via Interscope Records / AWGE

Reviewed January 6, 2021

Top tracks (based on community voting)

Vamp Anthem (33%), Sky (28%), Over (28%)

Playboi Carti continues to prove why he is the best in his field with his latest installation of genre bending genius. Whole Lotta Red signals new trends that will likely be heavily replicated by his contemporaries in years to come. It manages to balance his unique approach to cloud rap, traditional trap elements, and punk-styled rap while making it sound effortless. One moment you’ll be inundated by twinkly cloud production and the next you’ll have Carti screaming his brains out over extremely skeletal production. A genre blending masterpiece by an artist who most discount as just a one trick pony. – Jared (9.5/10)

Whole Lotta Red is an unrealized trap masterpiece. Its clattering blown out sonic profile, surging melody lines, and one of a kind vocal performances have the sub-genre approaching its breaking point in experimental fashion. Short track durations and nonstop production one-ups allow it to parlay its greatest qualities and exponentially increase its appeal. However, a questionable (possibly non-existent) cutting room floor strews question marks across the album and leads to a relatively disorganized final product. Carti is striving to take a step forward but this one comes up just shy of its true potential. – Enth (7.5/10)

Whole Lotta Red is a dichotomy; you hate to love it, or you love to hate it. As a result, people get mad about something that was never intended to be the way they imagined. It is an inherently conflicted album, which is a chaotic clash for the listener. Whole Lotta Red’s biggest issue is a jumbled collection of songs that sound like two or three styles that Carti has experimented with, but never fully dipped into. Carti succeeds to an extent in each of these different avenues, but he’s stretching his limits too far to fully execute in any of them. – Ben (Synth) (6/10)

Jared: 9.5/10 | Jacques: 9/10 | Alan: 8.2/10 | Cam: 7.8/10 | Enth: 7.5/10