Trippie Redd's 'Life's A Trip' is a Trip Worth Exploring

 Photo: Album Of The Year 

Hailing from the mean streets of Canton, Ohio, rapper Trippie Redd emerged under the era of "Soundcloud Rap." Similar to his peers XXXTentacion and Lil Peep, Trippie's music is a fusion of Emo, Pop-Punk and Rap. He began to capitalize off the trend with the release of "A Love Letter To You" that featured singles like "Love Scars" and "Poles 1469. "Dark Knight Dummo" featuring Travis Scott helped him break out even more, earning his first platinum plaque. However, the lukewarm reception "A Love Letter To You 2" along with his removal from Drake's "God's Plan" and ongoing beef with rapper 6ix9ine castes him as another potential casualty of rap's streaming gold rush. 

'Life's A Trip' allows Trippie to redeem himself by showcasing his darkest thoughts and finding himself through his inventive melodies that put him on the map. 

The first song "Together" draws you into what Trippie is all about with the tranquil guitar chords produced by We Are The Stars. "Together" is an affirmative song that makes it great for an intro song; Trippie wants his listeners to know that we humans are stronger together than alone and that we are "bigger than Satan." The song introduces the ongoing theme of facing the inevitability of death. Trippie is trying to keep it together and not lose himself in the process: 

"Forever tryna fight all these demons in my head / Together we can fight all these demons in my head." 

In the same way, Trippie takes a juxtapositional approach on death on "Taking A Walk" and "Gore" telling the listeners, "even if it kills me, I'ma win." Lyrically, Trippie is straight-forward and vocally his bombastic delivery is unmatched. 

The album's peak comes from "Missing My Idols" which exhibits Trippie's lyrical skills. He pays homage to one of his idols Lil Wayne with his clever wordplay: 

"Might just have to drop a bomb, Han Solo / Got me bicken back being bool, Quasimoto / All about my paper gotta get my fucking dough hoe / Always on the fucking go-go, you a bitch like Tony Romo/ Niggas came around now they extinct like Dodos."

What separates Trippie from other artists is his ability to balance his melodic impulses with concrete bars. Similarly, "Forever Ever"pairs Trippie and Young Thug melodic styles perfectly, both artists delivering their best performances. 

 Photo: Urban Islandz 

At 14 tracks, "Life's A Trip" is a swift listen. Songs like "Bird Shit","BANG!" and "UKA UKA" does its justice by filling in the gap of pushing Trippie's narrative forward. "Shake It Up" produced by OZ  is a fun twerk song that could potentially be a club anthem. It isn't until listening to "How You Feel" and "Oomp's Revenge" you feel Trippie Redd's vulnerability that goes deeper than the traditional emo surface. In "How You Feel" Trippie takes a step back from his traditional Soundcloud rap style and integrates his rock background including his singing vocals and guitar samples from Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On." In the same fashion, "Oomp's Revenge" is a tribute to his late brother, rapping, "I used to feel alone, but I know my brother's soul is with me/ I know Oompa's soul is with me." 

"Underwater FlyZone" ends the album to a beautifully somber close. Trippie pours his heart out about an estranged lover, being deep underwater being the place he refers to mentally, absent of life: 

"It's like I've been castaway, fast away / By my lone, by my own / I don't have anyone to cry with, or to die with / I die on my own / On my, on my own, on my own / It seems like the underwater is my flyzone, my flyzone." 

Essentially 'Life's A Trip' is a triumph debut. The line up of production from producers like Scott Storch, OZ, and Murda Beatz is impressive for a debut with the melodies and lyrics to match. 'Life's A Trip' vividly paints Trippie's painful past as something deep-rooted and real to listeners. That cut-throat vulnerability that you can feel in music makes you feel connected with the artist, as if the artist knows exactly who you are. On his debut, the rapper proves that the shadows and ghosts looming over his career only needed to be concealed by proving he is an relatable man behind the scars. 

Where to Stream/Buy : Apple Music - Spotify - Soundcloud - Google Play 

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