North Texas Daily

Both Gunna and Lil Baby have individually been on a consistent grind in the last year: They are currently two of the biggest rappers on the rise.

As a result, their relationship has repeatedly been compared with Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug’s collaborative years, and both are simultaneously getting bigger. Gunna and Lil Baby have a seemingly natural chemistry with one another, and they’ve quickly carved out their own signature styles — so much that some people believe they sound the same on every song. Whether positive or negative, their voices are recognizable. When you hear Gunna you know it’s Gunna. Ditto for Lil Baby.

The project has two solo songs from each artist. The first set of solo songs, Lil Baby’s “Deep End” and Gunna’s “World is Yours,” really delivers the sound the respective artist is known for. The two push their limits on the second pair of solo songs. “Close Friends” takes Lil Baby’s music beyond its usual connection to the streets, which he arguably has yet to do, as he tells a universal love story that could happen in any troubled relationship.

There are a lot of moments throughout the project where the two sound a lot like Young Thug. Even the album art is reminiscent of the first “Slime Season.” Similarly, some songs sound so much like Future that it feels like he has a verse, a hook or at least an ad-lib that never comes.

The first single off the album “Drip Too Hard” debuted at No. 28 on the Billboards. Besides “Never Recover” featuring Drake, this track sounds the most divergent from the rest of the album. Still, it isn’t out of place. The 13-track project is unforced but not effortless. There’s obviously been a lot of work put in on this project to make it what it is.

The production fits both so perfectly — neither artist ever sounds awkward. This is the result of the project’s production being done almost strictly by the duo’s frequent collaborators like Quay Global, Wheezy and Turbo. Turbo not only produced more than half the beats, but he also executive produced the project.

“I think they complemented each other well,” Turbo told Billboard. “Gunna is going to give you that melodic music that’s going to take you back to a certain place and capture a feeling, where Lil Baby is going to give you that story. With them two combined, it’s kind of like a new sound.”

With many collab projects by Atlanta artists like Offset and 21 Savage, Quavo and Travis Scott and Thug with Future, “Drip Harder” is the most cohesive of the fusion of two artists because their content is similar. They both are still enjoying the perks of their come-up, they both experienced hard times in Atlanta prior to fame and both love expensive things, so their lyrics mesh well.

But they are still different. Lyrically, it’s obvious Gunna has a deeper affinity for luxury and fashion while Lil Baby is still extremely connected to the streets.

It’s obvious Lil Baby and Gunna are direct descendants of what Atlanta hip-hop has built. These two are setting up to be the next big guys to be a part of the lineage. Taking the baton from Young Thug and Future, “Drip Harder” is the proof they aren’t going to fumble.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Featured Image: Courtesy Facebook