Over the past few years, all Hip Hop music has started to sound the same. With the same drums, 808’s and beat selection it’s hard to find originality and something fresh.

Las Vegas rapper Baby Keem has created his own addicting sound that’s very refreshing. Recently, he dropped his debut studio album The Melodic Blue.  The album consists of 16 songs and has a runtime of 53 minutes and 44 seconds. 

Baby Keem recently had success with his recent two mixtapes and got recognition from XXL magazine, making it onto their Freshman List in 2020. The Freshman list is a prediction of young artists that will have a successful career.

He also got to work on the soundtracks for 2018 film The Black Panther and the live action version of the 2019 film The Lion King. More recently, he got to be featured on Kanye West’s new album, Donda, with the song Praise God alongside Travis Scott.

The Melodic Blue starts off strong with the track Trademark USA. The song is a fun listen as it has four beat switches. Each beat switch offers something different and that’s what I loved about it. In the song he talks about how he wants to make generational wealth so he can help his family now and in the future.This song shows the best display of his unique production style, as nobody is doing what he does. 

The fifth track, Issues, is a sad song that talks about his family’s struggle with addictions. The simple piano and soft drums gives the right feeling to the lyrics of the song. I really liked how he added the tribal drums to the bridge of the song as that added another layer to the song.

The tenth track, Family Ties, was a single he released prior the release of the album with a feature from his cousin, Kendrick Lamar.  This song excited me, as we hadn’t seen Kendrick Lamar on any music since 2019. I loved the horns as they really set the tone for the song. Keem delivered his best verses of the album of this song. The beat switches in the middle of the song to completely change the mood. I got goosebumps. It was both thrilling and entertaining. 

The eleventh track, Scars, is a good song. In the song he asks God about why He made his life so hard. He also talks about people he loves that hurt his emotions. I loved the Kanye West Love Lockdown sample. He credits Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreaks as a huge inspiration in making the album. I also loved the outro of the song with the synths and piano. 

The closing track, 16, offers a nice finish to the album. In the song he talks about a relationship he has with an unknown woman. The song talks about a crumbling relationship and a sad upbringing full of poverty. I love the distorted drums on the song as it helps add to the feel. The chorus and hook is great and is one of the best this year. You can really hear the influence from Kid Cudi in his melodies and cadence. Keem has stated Kid Cudi is an influence of his.

Overall, I enjoyed the album. The production was very crisp and made this album as good as it is. With the unique blend of sounds and his signature beat switches, he creates a very addicting sound. This album has a large replay value. It offers something different, which makes it stand out. I really loved hearing new things from Kendrick Lamar. The three songs that he did feature on, he killed his role.

My only complaints about this album were the misuse of features. While Kendrick Lamar did his thing, Travis Scott and Don Toliver did not. I feel like they could’ve been more cohesive, as the beat selection and style of song wasn’t suited for them.

My other complaint is that he didn’t really open up as much as he could have. He said on the third song Scapegoats, “I tell the story two years later, for now, the case closed.” This gives us something to look forward to on his next album. 

This was a great introduction to what is hopefully going to be a great career. He has shown a lot of growth from his previous works. I have a lot of hope for his next album and hope to see some features from him in the future. Overall, I give the album an 8/10.