French Montana returns with another installment of his Coke Boys series, but this time it’s more inconsistent than ever. While previous releases brought affiliates into French’s world, the snare-heavy & lush sample selection with chants of being a Coke Boy usually being the staples of the sound, we instead get every scene in hip hop put into one tape.
All within the same tape, we hear Bronx Drill, wavy music brought by Max B, melodic trap, Griselda’s throwback raps, new school NOLA bangers, and many more. In one way, it feels like a labor a love, bringing all these subsections of hip hop into one place. On the other hand however, all played together in an hour & near half long project, it makes for an extremely inconsistent listen. Every track feels like it turns into a new direction, rather than providing a smooth transition.
That being said, it isn’t without its highlights. “RZA” with Benny The Butcher sees French closer to Benny’s world instrumentally, a much more subtle instrumental than their previous collaborations. While tracks like “Wave Blues” have that previously mentioned “Coke Boys” snare & sample heavy sound, this one has a throwback NY feel. A simple loop serves as the backdrop, forcing the duo to focus on just bars than the hit potential.
Rob49’s hit last year “Vulture Island” proved there’s still a place for that aggressive NOLA slang in the mainstream, and he proves it once again with “Igloo.” An tense banger that let’s Rob49 completely let loose vocally, with each bar he spits sounding more intense than the last. French holds his own on the track, but by the end of the track, its clear who had something to prove on it.
French Montana & DJ Drama – Igloo (ft. Rob49)
Despite being his own album, French always winds up as the weakest link. The solo tracks on the project are either barely of note (“Yes I Do”), or hilariously awkward in execution (“Not So Bad”). Even lacking the group’s usually production sounds, it makes it even more questionable as to why its not just a DJ Drama mixtape instead.
While there are highlights, there’s not enough to justify such a lengthy run time. Even the Max B track feels like a throwaway compared anything Max had dropped last year. Lack of a consistent sound make for a headache rather than excitement. French’s recent work made it seem like he was back to be taking seriously, but that streak seems to have ended.