Fivio Foreign’s first project is a hyped listen but underwhelming. This song features his biggest song to date on the intro, “Big Drip.” The song is drenched in his adlibbed delivery, with his infectious delivery. Production being delivered by AXL fills the spaces Fivio leaves in his bars to give a more filled feeling.
Following that track is “Pop Out,” which is similar in lyrical themes but a bit more dense instrumentally & vocally. While this one is the better track, its clear why “Big Drip” was the bigger track. The simplified delivery maxed out catchiness, making it a bit more memorable. This winds up being the case for the other tracks on the album too.
Despite his age, Fivio severely lagged behind Pop Smoke in artistic appeal at this time. His focus was on party anthems, only with a slight allusion to alcoholism. He does switch speeds on the final track “It’s Me,” where gives background on his life story & current struggles. Its a sign of better things to come in his discography, especially when you consider his verse on tracks like “Off The Grid” later on, but not a strong example of his abilities. It only proves he can do serious topics, rather than making something equally hard hitting and emotional.
Somebody better hold me back
I was dead broke
Writin’ rhymes where the roaches at
Mama Lottie knew I was a star before I wrote a rap
His growth coming from this EP is remarkable, becoming one of the more prominent & enjoyable figures in the scene. This EP however is a fairly weak example of his skillset, feeling purposely dumbed down to appeal to a mass audience. Pop Smoke’s music was able to toe the line of being equally emotionally gripping & the soundtrack to multiple parties. While he would develop into a one of the best in the scene, his early material is far from his best.