OTF’s founder Lil Durk, has been quietly and slowly building a music empire. It almost seems as if he’s doing it this way deliberately. No filler, good music, and a constant grind. Usually when a rapper puts together a crew or label, the other artist come beneath the bar that the founder has set. Scratch that narrative when you hear OTF member Hypno Carlito’s project Never Say Never Again. “I bet they never say never again”, says a confident Bump J (who just came home from serving 10), and let’s Hypno take over from there. “Y’all can use some teaching, bunch of dumb niggaz speaking. See, I ain’t have to lie to make ’em feel it. Keep my distance, I don’t want ’em to think I’m leeching”, says a serious Hypno Carlito over the Intro. “Energy” is the first track, and sets the vibe for the project. “Niggas don’t want to see me ball, they don’t want me to win at all. They don’t want to see me get it all. I feel the energy”, is the chorus as the drums drop out and it’s just Hypno and the Piano, which gives the track more of an edge. The guest stars on the album came through as well. Trae the Truth shows up on “Had Your Back”, and confronts a friend’s loyalty. “Everywhere a nigga go, I gotta stay extended on the waist. My brother gone, and you ain’t ride nigga, why the fuck you in my face? How the fuck we so far apart when you used to be my ace? Loyalty the only way, but see you moving at a different pace.” O.J. The Juiceman pops up on the high strung “Ballin”, YFN Lucci, Johnny Cinco, YFN Trae Pound, and Lil Durk show up and get to work on “Watch Out”, and a mellow Rockie Fresh shows layers of his mind of “Forgive ‘Em”. Damn, niggas still out here they going broke. Niggas still out here and losing hope. . .Got a couple friends, trying to get the ends. Did the Beamer, now I’m about to get the Benz. And, you gotta see me. I don’t do the tens. Talking ’bout my mama crib, I pay the rent. Talk about the kush, it must be Heaven sent. Cause I’m way up, way up where the angels be. Y’all can’t play with me. Yeah I forgive ’em, but I don’t do shit for free” rhymes Rockie on the aforementioned track. Never Say Never Again is a great album, and overall it shows an artist who is slowly passing the doubters and building a very solid catalog of music.
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