It’s safe to say that many of us on Surreal Resolution are definitely big Adult Swim fans, as we always have much love for their content, whether it be their original shows, Toonami, and especially the music. Since 2007, AS has been showcasing a lot of musical acts from metal to hip-hop to ambient and other genres through releasing their own albums, compilations with other labels like Definitive Jux and Ghostly International, sponsors, and of course, the Adult Swim Singles Program which manages to grow more and more every year, to the point of doing it year-round… again. Today’s artist (and their album) is from the first entry of the 2018-19 lineup, and that is Father.
Yeah, we at Decibel Boost did cover the track he did with Lil’ Housephone, “Fashionista,” and that track didn’t do a lot for me. Anyway, Father is an MC from Atlanta who went viral from his song “Look at Wrist.” He is the founder of his own label, Awful Records, and recently the label signed a deal with RCA, with this being their first project coming from this collaboration with Adult Swim involved as well, hence the title.
Now, with me knowing him a little bit from that Singles track, how does the album fare?
Well, I’m going to start with the artist himself, and Father on the mic can definitely spit some good bars, catchy references, and good hooks, but his delivery leaves a lot to be desired. His signature style seems to be mostly slurry and very relaxed, but when it comes to songs that require some energy, he can manage to do it. Sometimes his original delivery can flow well, and an example of that is in “Sephiroth,” and I know it’s early to say, but this is the best song off the album, especially with the hook referencing a Final Fantasy character and production which reminds me of said franchise.
Black boots tattoos yuh
Hair long like Sephiroth
Square Enix rare nigga dare niggas
Run up but they hella soft
Might go cop a helicopter
Black hawk down
Pullin up like a black mobster
On any side of town
I don’t know if it samples something from there but at least Meltycanon, the producer on this track among others, didn’t say it was from a certain Square Enix game but didn’t know it was actually from a sub-par anime and… I’m getting off track. For the overall album content, with something like this, it’s mostly about flexing, getting girls, money, clubbing, and getting fucked up. No, I wasn’t expecting anything deep with this in case you thought I was going that route. I can dig certain tracks like “Boosie Fade” with bars like:
Kick the shit like Liu Kang
Bitches call me “Flawless Vick”
Feel like Gucci Mane La Flare
The way a nigga haul these bricks ya
I do this G’ shit easy
Boy I’m Halsey with that stick, okay
Sick off of two forties Morty
Call me Nigga Rick
And I’ll say this: “Thotnite” is a banger, especially if this gets played at strip clubs or any night club in general.
Awful Swim does have some decent production with some different twang in some cuts like “Killa” which sounds like Legend of Zelda thanks to what sounds like flutes, and there’s the twinkling sounds in “Passion and Dogma.” “She Used To” definitely sounds like something you heard coming from a circus or all those nightmares you have with clowns in them. I mentioned Meltycanon earlier, as he is the majority producer on the album. However, Father also dips into different territory with Eugenecam, Nedarb, & Paul Maxwell. He also got a few of his Awful Records co-horts on some guest features, mainly Abra, Meltycanon, and Slug Christ, while outsider Rico Nasty contributed on “On One,” and all the guests did their verses fine.
Overall, this project here is very tolerable. I can go with the banger production, and a good percentage of the songs are ones that I can listen in the background. There isn’t much that I dislike here, and there are some decent-to-good tracks that I’ll listen to from time-to-time on my own time or when Adult Swim puts them in their bumps. In other words, it’s not ‘awful.’
Final Verdict: Stream it. If you’re looking for some decent bangers, Father gets them done.
Awful Swim is available on Awful Records/RCA Records on streaming services, including on Adult Swim.