Playboi Carti – I AM MUSIC ( Album Review )

In recent years, Carti has been a ridiculous phenomenon within hip-hop — transforming a genre with his influential Whole Lotta Red (WLR), redefining rage rap, and becoming one of the biggest rap superstars. From features with The Weeknd, Future, and Travis Scott to pop collaborations with Camila Cabello, every new Carti appearance is treated like the coming of Jesus Christ, especially after he introduced a deeper tone in “FE!N.”

Truthfully, this album and its rollout have been a complete disaster, and I believe it underwent several reconstructions before seeing the light.

I firmly believe the album’s release was supposed to happen in late 2023 or early 2024, and Carti’s illusory rollout with his ANTAGONIST world tour with Opium was meant to cement a new album. “ALL RED” was initially seen as the first lead single to Carti’s new record. However, just before the advent of 2024, Carti released several singles — “2024”, “H00dByAir”, “Backr00ms” with Travis Scott, “EvilJ0rdan”, and “Ketamine”. All these tracks strongly hinted at a cinematic, dynamic, and dark sound within the trap aesthetic. Funnily enough, out of all those tracks, only “EvilJ0rdan” made the full tracklist. So the whole conversation about the lead single and a sound-representative track is thrown into question.

Many upcoming reviews will focus on whether the record was actually worth the wait, considering his previous full-length album came out four and a half years ago. However, to give this album a fair chance at discovery, I will approach it without any bias or preset expectations.

Let’s get into it.

After some time, Carti’s second album, Whole Lotta Red, received a largely positive reception for its new direction. Since then, every single release has been anticipated to deliver extremely unexpected or mind-expanding sounds. However, I don’t believe that’s really the case with MUSIC.

For a long time, we speculated on what sound Carti would choose for his new record. Would it continue the demonic rage of WLR, or would it circle back to the Cash Carti era? Frankly, MUSIC is not another compilation of vampire music — it still features that immersive, dark rage sound that feels frenetic.

In one way, Carti definitely continues the legacy of WLR with an expansive tracklist, now clocking in at 30 tracks over 1 hour and 17 minutes.

It is a hard album to describe. At first listen, the sound feels hallucinatory and dark, delivering the unhinged energy you expect from Carti — on tracks like “EVIL J0RDAN” and “MOJO JOJO,” where you get a back-and-forth with Kendrick Lamar that constructs an unusual, unpredictable arrangement. Yet alongside those snarling performances, Carti also experiments with dynamic, softer tracks. For instance, on “RATHER LIE,” he effortlessly jumps between a baby voice, a deep voice, and his usual tone, creating a futuristic blend.

However, while he provides some diversity, the production feels oddly looped and repetitive. Certain tracks, like “GOOD CREDIT” or “WAKE UP F1LTHY,” deliver unforgettable highs with their surreal, ominous sound, but the lack of cinematic, definitive moments throughout the album just signals a mess to me.

Quite directly, the album lacks any clear structure. It feels more like a soundtrack — a messy, rage-filled trap record that sporadically shifts into euphoric, experimental sounds, as seen on “BACKD00R,” which then transitions into the bouncy, cyclical “TOXIC.”

What sets Whole Lotta Red apart is its chaotic structure that perfectly encapsulated Carti’s sonic rebellion. With MUSIC, however, it seems rushed. For example, the mixing on some tracks, like the intro “POP OUT” and Young Thug’s verse on “WE NEED ALL DA VIBES,” comes off as choppy and subpar. While tracks like “CRANK” add rawness and madness, others just showcase laziness.

Despite my overall impression of the record as hypnotically rolling and creating a trance-like effect — especially with the high-energy bangers in the second half — the album ultimately falls into a tight loop of repetitive soundscapes.

Carti’s execution and his constant shifts between voices are fascinating and exciting, but not enough to hold the listener’s attention for an hour. His abrasive rhythm and delivery are contagious — when the chorus works, it’s brilliant. But when that aggression and nasal tone fall flat, the tracks feel forgettable.

If you approach the record with no expectations of a cohesive album experience — treating it instead as a playlist of rage and trap music — you might find satisfaction in its sudden bursts of diversity and exciting guest features. However, if you’re expecting the Carti from Die Lit or his self-titled mixtape, MUSIC won’t deliver that same magic.

The album is unreasonably long. We recently saw how length can be managed gracefully — like with The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow — but here, the continuous barrage of tracks feels unnecessary. Spending 3000 words on the album instead of 1000 would only make it more monotonous.

Score/Good: Jordan Carter gives you a record that feels more like a playlist of modern hip-hop — a blend of high-energy tracks with dynamic, tactile sounds. MUSIC creates a seismic impact with its haunting delivery, but it isn’t enough to break free from the loop of repetitive soundscapes.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]