Maxo Kream is a rapper from Houston who has worked with artists such as J-Cole, Lil Uzi Vert and Trippe Redd. Kream started his music career by releasing mixtapes before releasing his debut album “Punken.” Now comes his next album, “Brandon Banks,” named after his father. Kream gets very personal on this album, explaining his childhood and his current status as an artist.
Kream starts the album with “Meet Again” which includes a funky instrument that pays homage to artist Cloud One. Kream is impressive on the track with his raw delivery. “Meet Again” is a letter to his friends in prison and he also talks about his personal life while telling them that he is checking on their families. “Meet Again” is a great intro with Kream showing his versatile flow and his storytelling skills.
“Bissonet” discusses Kream’s venture into becoming a product of the streets. The beat on this song is an average trap beat, however Kream’s performance enhances it. His raw delivery makes this song seem like a story of how he joined his gang.
“8 Figures” is Kream’s braggadocios song where he talks about the requirements to make real money. Kream chooses an interesting beat on this song to talk about his riches. He rap’s over a subdued trap beat when telling stories about how some of the people he knew wasted money. Towards the end of the song, the beat switches to add more substance.
“She Live” is the first collaboration between Kream and Meg the Stallion. The two artists discuss what they look for in a lover. Kream and Meg have great chemistry on the hook and their separate verses. Kream provides some witty lyrics such as “She hit the road with the bundles/she tricked the treat and she brought me the money.” Meg fits in very well with her verse, where she talks about how she wants a guy that can afford her expensive taste. “She Live” is a decent track that can make the airwaves.
“Drizzy Draco” is a song where Kream pays homage to Drake via his nickname Drizzy Drake. This stems from Kream’s freestyle on the show “The Cave” by Kenny Beats. While the subject on the song is vague, Kream flows very well and makes some witty remarks. The beat also sounds very good, especially on big speakers.
“3 AM” marks the first collaboration between Kream and Top Dawg Entertainment artist, Schoolboy Q. This song describes the gang activities that would happen at 3 AM. Kream and Schoolboy sound amazing on this track with their raw and gritty delivery. Kream gets very comical with lyrics such as “Campin’ outside your crib like I’m buyin’ Jordans.” Schoolboy makes his verse interesting by changing his voice to sound like a psychopath.
“Spice Ln” is another personal story by Kream where he talks about his history in Spice Ln. The beat matches well with his subject by providing this gritty undertone with an up-tempo trap beat. Kream also comes in with an aggressive flow when describing his experiences. Towards the end of the song, Kream’s dad makes an appearance to tell Kream not go around Spice Ln.
“Brenda” pays homage to “Brenda’s Got a Baby” by Tupac. The storytelling is impressive with Kream picking a smooth beat to rap over. He also does a good job of changing his tone when the story gets more serious. The ending song is interesting as it ends abruptly with a gunshot that signals Brenda’s son has died.
Overall Maxo Kream delivers an amazing performance this album. His flow and his storytelling really pull this album together. The beats are good, but they can get repetitive throughout the album. 4.5/5
Photo Courtesy of Big Persona, 88 Classic, and RCA Records.
