7220

On seventh studio album 7220, Chicago rapper Lil Durk continues the formula of searingly honest lyricism, melodic rap-singing delivery, and mournful piano loop-based instrumentals thats consistently taken him to the upper reaches of chart success. While the repetitive production moves can make the beats feel somewhat interchangeable, Durks hyper-personalized stories of loss, betrayal, grief, and street struggles usually rise above the albums occasionally monotonous sound. 7220 is at its best when Durk is alone in the booth sharing intimate details from his life, as with the pained examination of family, lost friends, and lost innocence on "Headtaps" or the solitary "No Interviews." The record has a few interesting outlier songs, like the R&B-leaning Summer Walker duet "Difference Is" or the questionable country-trap experiment "Broadway Girls" with raspy hooks and twangy ad-libs by Morgan Wallen. For the most part, however, Lil Durk commands the flow of 7220 with emotionally complex lyrics that feel confessional and raw on more melancholic tracks like the Gunna-featuring "What Happened to Virgil" and out for blood on charged, confrontational moments like "AHHH HA." ~ TiVo Staff