2023 had some of the best rap and hip-hop albums we’ve seen in a while, and from a variety of artists including Drake, NLE Choppa, Travis Scott, Offset, Lil Wayne, Rod Wave, and many more. If you are the kind of person that listens to lots of new music, you may have been worried about whether or not 2024 would keep the streak of worthwhile rap albums alive. With the release of 21 Savage’s American Dream, however, there seems to be hope.
21 hasn’t released a solo album since he dropped I Am > I Was in 2018. The album is still considered to have many hits today, with some of the most popular songs of the artist’s career. With expectations so high, it can be hard not to compare American Dream to that standard.
The 50-minute-long (including the intro) album is a collection of some great songs, calling back to the Atlanta rapper’s near-deportation and shocking reveal of his British root and plays on the theme of growing up in a struggling childhood.
The first song on the album “all of me” is arguably the best song on the entire album. The catchy but creative lyrics mix with a great beat and make the track pop. Next comes “redrum” with a bit of wordplay. Then we get to listen to pop-sensation Doja Cat in “n.h.i.e”. Other notably great tracks feature Lil Durk and Young Thug. Brent Faiyaz comes on for “should’ve wore a bonnet,” and we get to see why the album has been described as full of witty lyrics.
The number of artists featured together with the production quality and amazing bars make American Dream live up to what we’ve come to expect from 21 Savage. While it may take some time before we can tell if it’s as good at his previous works, American Dream is definitely better than “just another 21 album,” and it’ll be in my playlists for a while.
