A surprising change of pace for the discography and track of Kodak Black, “Haitian Boy Kodak” clocks in at a lean 22 minutes, a third of usual output. Though the shot-firing, gang mischief is there, this album finds Kodak Black lyrically sifting through emotions, love, and pain.
This sounds like a Kodak Black not playing any games. This isn’t just the playful Kodak Black you might’ve skipped over before. “Dirty K” talks about the abuses of the music industry over an incredible sample of Aaliyah. He digs deep into his roots rapping in two languages often on the same song. When he’s on his gang git, like the opening track “Round the Roses” and “Basement on Fire”, he’s menacing, ominous and his subliminal shots sounding precise really earning the call out “the Sniper Gang”. At the risk of Kodak coming for me with his line “you can’t compare me regardless”, if 21 Savage is shooting everyone in sight, Kodak focuses, takes his time, to hit the cores of his ops. All while hitting devilish lines like “I got my Siri speaking patois”. That’s pure flames- and what is a Kodak Black album without an overtly sexual, yet funny bar.
“Dejambem” showcases his fluency in his root language. Even if you don’t understand the phrases his emotion in his voice makes you feel something. To translate would be an injustice to language, and anyone translating isn’t accurate. With the island influence in the production, it’s a somber almost rapping ballad. Keeping with the vulnerability, “Maffioso” is a deep rap about the people closest and his grievances with them and is full of heartbreak. That only leads in to the absolutely cold acapella of “Oracle”, and to write about it… not doing it.
Ending in a love song “Don’t Leave Me” is a new sound from Kodak as a new turn for Kodak Black, this album was incredibly inspired, and the best body of work from Kodak Black yet. Its extremely focused with direction. Not an album strung together by loose threads but a collection of songs firmly intertwined with each other.
You can listen to it here:
Leave a comment