Paper Route Frank

The first posthumous material to surface after the 2021 death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph feels like a natural continuation, achieving the same level of quality and personality as work released when he was still alive. Many albums released after a famous rapper dies are hollow, sad affairs cobbled together from leftovers and disconnected scraps. Paper Route Frank presents more of the Young Dolph fans love and remember: a grim but often hilarious storyteller, a technically skilled rapper who didnt need to get overly showy to make an impression, and someone who felt simultaneously larger than life and down to earth. The albums 13 cuts range from powerful brags of power, drugs, and sex on group track "Infatuated with Drugs" (featuring competitive bars from Snupe Bandz and Big Moochie Grape), woozy, midtempo, slow-burn bangers like the 2 Chainz collaboration "Beep Beep," and lengthy, detailed depictions of coming up in both rap game and street hustling, as on both blazing opener "Love for the Streets" and life story narrative "Hall of Fame," the albums strongest moment. Dolph is mostly on the mike alone throughout Paper Route Frank, but in addition to the previously mentioned guests, his cousin and frequent collaborator Key Glock shows up on the violin-laced beat of "Thats How" and Gucci Mane contributes a slithering flow to "Roster," clearly borrowing from old-school Memphis rap. Paper Route Frank is a rare instance of a posthumous release that matches the quality of what the artist was creating while still alive, and gives us yet another reason to mourn the loss of a great rapper who still had more to say. ~ Fred Thomas

2021年11月に凶弾に倒れたメンフィスの雄の、昨年末に登場した死後作がフィジカルで登場。シリアスなムードで強面に飛ばす"Love For The Streets"で始まるあたりに何とも言えない気持ちになるが、シチュエーションを抜きにしても不穏な雰囲気は全編にドロリと立ち込めている。キー・グロックと絡む"Thats How"や2チェインズとの"Beep Beep"が聴きもの。
bounce (C)出嶌孝次