Brooklyn (pictured above) is the home town of rapper Sheff G. This setting has influenced the content and genre of Sheff G’s music (Couresty of postdlf on wikipedia).
Defining a subgenre is hard, but Sheff G’s The Unluccy Luccy Kid serves as a perfect introduction to the newest sound coming out of New York City: Brooklyn Drill.
Drill music rose to popularity in Chicago around 2010. The music is characterized by dark, violent lyrics over ominous trap beats. Since then, Drill’s popularity has fallen in Chicago but has a growing fanbase in the United Kingdom and now in Brooklyn, N.Y. Artist Sheff G incorporates elements of Drill into his work while maintaining Brooklyn style throughout.
After Sheff G’s breakout song “No Suburban,” the artist was forced to dampen his newfound fame after being sentenced to a short stint in prison. Since then, Sheff G has constantly been at odds with the police. Recently, Sheff G and two other Brooklyn Drill contemporaries were banned from performing at Rolling Loud music festival due to “public safety concerns” because of their affiliation with “recent acts of violence citywide.”
Sheff G seems to be in a perpetual feud with the NYPD and rival gangs, which has made his rise to popularity difficult. However, Sheff G has managed to amass a strong underground following despite these obstacles.
On the rapper’s most recent 34-minute project, the artist continues to combine sounds. The production borrows heavily from the recently popular subgenre UK Drill. Artist Great John made excellent style choices as a producer of most of The Unluccy Luccy Kid. Deep bass lines and ominous piano notes form dark, atmospheric background beats which mesh perfectly with Sheff G’s deep baritone voice.
Sheff G’s combination of flow and vocals may be best exemplified through the track “All My Life,” a collaboration with fellow rapper Sleepy Hallow. Together the artists’ voices flow smoothly over Great John’s simple beat production. The track starts with just strings and piano, but when Sheff G begins to rap, his voice takes center stage. The strings are dropped and the piano quiets down so that Sheff G is the song’s focus.
As his verse continues, the strings are added back in and the piano gets more complex. Eventually, after a few brief seconds without the beat, a sharp drum pattern comes in to kick the song into a higher gear. Sheff G flows smoothly with the progressing beat, showing off his versatility and flexible rap patterns. The only thing lacking from this song is a set of strong lyrics.
Sheff G is, at best, a mediocre writer. He tends to overuse the classic rap tropes of money, loyalty and violence. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these themes, but Sheff G brings nothing lyrically unique to the table. While his past encounters with the law make it clear that his words are genuine, Sheff G never interjects personal experiences into his lyrics. This makes his songs generic enough to have been written by anyone.
To try and offset this weakness, Sheff G features other rappers. Sheff G’s longtime friend and fellow Brooklyn Drill rapper Sleepy Hallow appears on seven of the album’s 14 tracks. Together the artists have chemistry, trading bars and writing continuous verses. Sleepy Hallow is a slightly more developed lyricist than Sheff G and manages to show some vulnerability in his lyrics, giving them more of a personal weight.
Unfortunately, Sleepy Hallow sounds almost exactly like Sheff G. This makes the album feel repetitive. To change the pace, Californian rapper Mozzy is featured on the track “Menace,” offering a much-needed, refreshing sound.
Overall, The Unluccy Luccy Kid is a solid debut project. Sheff G shows solid potential for growth and has no trouble delivering verses over any beat, despite being held back by his mediocre lyrics and lack of innovation. The album ends right when Sheff G’s sound is beginning to become stale. If you’re interested in exploring a new subgenre of rap, or if you’re already a fan of Drill, this album is for you.