Flamerz! 5-5-5. Call the Soundbox Fire Department! 🚒
Meek Mill is trying to ignite the scene. 🔥
No fear! Soundbox Reviews is here with another music review on Meek Mill’s latest mixtape, "Flamerz 5."
Meek Mill always comes with high-octane energy and those summer vibes — driving around with the windows down and the music bumping, a beautiful partner next to you, and the sun warming the scene.
Seeing Meek Mill’s name next to new music causes excitement and enthusiasm to listen to whatever he produces. This time, it’s his first compilation of tracks since "Expensive Pain" (2021.)
From the title to his opening tracks, there’s a feeling in "Flamerz 5" that Meek Mill wants to see the scene ablaze and more that he wants to re-ignite his career. He wants to show listeners he is still relevant.
But from the onset, "Flamerz 5" under-delivers. Although there’s energy, there are no roofs on fire, no need to call the fire department, and no re-igniting of a career. At best, Meek lights a fitful kindling.
Artwork by Bolivar T. Caceres
The mixtape is entertaining; the listener will catch his vibe, dancing, bopping their head, throwing their hands, and rapping along.
Meek Mill has a presence on the mixtape — albeit at times not his own. His voice is predominant, and the production is tight for a mixtape. There’s a consistent flow that keeps the bumping energy endlessly going, even when not listening to "Flamerz 5." But this is where the goodness stops.
Whereas we shame Mr. Brainwash for outright stealing other artists’ styles and work, it’s natural to criticize "Flamerz 5" under the same criteria.
Mixtapes are not albums, and frequently, they are incomplete. It’s where the musician experiments with new flows, concepts, and instrumentation. And it’s customary for musicians to use already circulating music and instrumentals to exhibit their prowess in popular music. A mixtape is an experimentation towards an album release.
Dababy’s "Doo Wop" freestyle on a Lauryn Hill track is an excellent example of the type of music expected on a mixtape. Dababy’s flow, no one else’s, makes the freestyle poignant. And in many ways, it’s the proper way to pay respect.
Meek Mill’s on Flamerz 5 — to put it in slang terms — is a biter. Munch! Munch! On “Munch,” Meek Mill is Ice Spice. On “Supergremlin, he is Kodak Black. On Livin Wild, Meek is Tupac. On Tomorrow 2, he is Glorilla. On the tracks where he isn’t an imitation of another artist, he is only an imitation of his former self.
There is nothing new or experimental about "Flamerz 5." Nothing that a listener cannot find somewhere else; for example, the artists from whose flow and style he stole. And there’s little to no excitement for another Meek Mill album.
The best parts of Flamerz 5 are the features. On “Last Last,” Tafia’s presence, flow, and verse are immaculate. It’s the only verse that stands out on the whole mixtape. Tafia’s verse is fresh to the ears. Friday sings on two tracks, saving Meek Mill from retelling his diary to us.
But when looking back on Meek Mill’s discography, his most popular tracks are those with features. “Going Bad” featuring Drake, “Sharing Locations” featuring Lil Baby & Lil Durk, and one of Meek’s best compilations, “Dreams With More Than Money,” has nothing but features, Tory Lanes, Future, Drake, Nicki, and Chris Brown.
Too much Meek Mill is not a good thing, and in the past, Meek Mills has been aware of this and filled his album with the right people. But even those artists he collaborated with in the past are missing from Flamerz 5. Controversy and drama is stinger to one's carreer. And sadly, the new cast is as underwhelming as Meek is on Flamerz 5.
After “Tomorrow 2,” one will most likely stop listening or start skimming tracks, hoping to find something Flamerz in Flamerz 5. But there isn’t anything. Flamerz is a basic mixtape with album aspirations. Although it’s worth a listen, a little spittle can extinguish the five Flamerz.
Comments
Post a Comment