Papoose is a New York rapper who has built his reputation in the underground hip-hop scene. Known for his dope lyricism and aggressive delivery, he has delivered five decent albums. Now he’s releasing his sixth studio album, “Underrated,” which features artist like Casanova, Musiq Soulchild and Papoose’s wife, Remy Ma.
The first song, “Underrated,” starts the album with an old 90s hip-hop beat in the background. In this song, Papoose talks about how he feels like he is one of the best rappers out right now. He mentions this with lyrics such as “I don’t write rhymes I write prescriptions 'cause these n***** sickenin’" and "dead presidents get paid while my record getting played.” It’s a perfect intro and an equally perfect transition to the song “Numerical Slaughter."
This track includes a very interesting premise done by Papoose and DJ Premier. Premier first shouts out a number, then Papoose would respond, rapping about his own life using that number. Lyrics like “To keep it one hundred, all I need one mic / You only live once, God gave you one life” sound great with Premier’s aggressive Boom-Bap beat.
“3rd Eye” gives Papoose’s perspective on some controversial topics that are happening or have happened in America. Papoose mentions “Kayne West said slavery was a choice / But he should be muzzled without a voice.” It features a nice monotone beat with trap drums in the background to give the song some substance.
“Bag” lightens up the album with an 80s club beat and a braggadocios flow from Papoose. All about money, this track shows how successful Papoose is in that area. He delivers a good performance on this track, doing a good job riding the beat. This song is one of the best on the album, with a catchy hook and Papoose’s witty lyricism.
“S.H.O.O.T.E.R” is a banger, with Casanova coming in and delivering the best feature on the album, with lyrics like “Now they all sick as s***, your boy fever / My life thrill, I belong in the Don Diva." Papoose follows up with an amazing performance that matches the lyricism of Casanova. The chemistry between the two artists definitely shows that they should do more songs in the future.
“Mash the Gas on Em” ends the album on an aggressive note, with a classic Boom-Bap beat playing in the background. This song ultimately is just a freestyle rap with a hook at the end to round out the song. Papoose delivers on this track with his versatile flow and dope lyricism.
The song “The Golden Child” sounds like a rehashed love song. It has some sub-par performances by Remy Ma and Papoose. It also could have been better with a different beat or a change in the subject matter.
“Underrated” is a solid project with some great tracks. However, there are some huge missteps on this album as well. Overall, while it is a good album, and a certain crowd could like it more than others, it's still lacking in some areas. 3.5/5
