When I heard Trippie Redd’s music for the first time, I knew he wasn’t like any other hip-hop artists who were on the rise around the same time. It wasn’t his appearance and fashion sense that really set him apart, but his sound. From the start, you could tell that Trippie Redd wasn’t afraid to demonstrate his vocal abilities and sing on tracks despite not having the smoothest voice or the best techniques.
Frankly, I wasn’t too impressed when I saw XXL’s Freshman class this year. However, the XXL staff have proven to be better at seeing the potential and talent in hip-hop artists than me. Being chosen to be the XXL freshman class means a lot to rappers because not only is it a major compliment, but it also signifies their potential to become a star. Kid Cudi, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Chance the Rapper, and more are just examples of XXL cover graduates.
When I found out about Trippie Redd, I recall listening to “Fuck Love” and thinking it was decent but not that amazing. A couple months later when “Dark Knight Dummo” started getting plays and charting, I liked Trippie Redd’s sound but assumed he might be a one-hit wonder since he didn’t drop anything to that same effect for a while. However, his recent collaborations with Alison Wonderland on “High” and with Diplo on “Wish” proved otherwise. Trippie Redd definitely has more to offer, and he demonstrates that with Life’s a Trip.
Fans see the more honest and vulnerable side to Trippie that they might not have been expecting. There certainly are still upbeat, feel-good hip-hop tracks that’ll do well as club hits, but Trippie Redd isn’t afraid to tone it down with more mellow tracks that speak his mind. This album is one of my favorites among the hip-hop releases this year (so far).
My favorite new tracks from the album are “Taking A Walk,” “BANG!” “How You Feel,” and “Underwater Flyzone.”
