Compton rapper Boogie built enough of a buzz off of a series of excellent mixtapes (Thirst 48, Thirst 48 Part II, The Reach) that Eminem signed him to Shady records in 2017. Everything’s For Sale represents his debut album.
Performing in the church choir as a kid introduced Boogie to music, not to mention several members of the Compton Bloods, an association that is clearly displayed on the album’s cover. This isn’t “gangsta rap” though. No, this is post-gangsta rap, with Boogie’s raps focused on the consequences of his lifestyle, rather than the lifestyle itself. Lines like “Hard to put on war boots when you walkin’ on eggshells,” or “I keep sayin F them n-words but still ain’t address it with them,” show his mature perspective. ⠀
He’s observant, introspective and brutally honest. Don’t call him woke, though, because much of what he raps about are the dumb mistakes he’s made and keeps making. In a recent interview with Genius, Boogie says, “A lot of us are conscious of the bullshit we do but we just don’t want to acknowledge that we conscious of it because it makes you look stupid like, ‘You know you’re fucking up and you still keep fucking up?’ So we act like we don’t know we fuckin’ up.” ⠀
Well, Boogie acknowledges the hell out of his mistakes. The song “Whose Fault?” deals with the struggles of ending a relationship and sharing custody of his child. Boogie raps from the perspective of both parents when he says, “You say my son got a game and I need to get him to it / though I miss him I say ‘Shit, no I ain’t finna do it / ‘cause I’m too pissed I say ‘No bitch tell your n-word do it’ / Another stereotype that I couldn’t prove wrong.” ‘Everything’s For Sale’ is filled with heartbreaking, too-real moments like this. And did I mention that the production, hooks and melodies are fire? This album really deserves a listen. ⠀
Score: ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️/5
