Oh hey, some new Denzel Curry!!
It’s been a couple of years since his previous record Melt My Eyez See Your Future, and as I recall, I actually thought that was the best rap record of 2022 (yes, even higher than Mr. Morale). In the news prior to this, we thought that at first we were getting the sequel to his mixtape 13LOOD IN, 13LOOD OUT MIXX, but in actuality, it’s a sequel to his 2012 mixtape King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 1 (Underground Tape 1996).
Let’s cut the chase and get to the main question. How was the album?
Look, if you recognize the patterns with Denzel’s albums, you notice that after he does a deeper, introspective project like MMESYF, he switches into banger territory. I mean, after TA1300, we got Zuu, and that album had plenty of bangers and was relatively short (around 30 minutes or so). The sound is a mix of Southern hip-hop and horrorcore elements, and it also has narration done by Southern hip-hop legend Kingpin Skinny Pimp, known for his association with Three 6 Mafia.
Again, all of these tracks are made to be certified bangers, and the way it opens with “Ultra Shxt” is strong with that smooth yet hypnotic sound. The feature, Ultraground member Key Nyata, has a triplet flow similar to late Three 6 Mafia member Lord Infamous, and he sounds good on this. Oh, and I should mention this before but every track on here has a feature with it. “Set It” with Maxo Kream is also nice and I was digging some of Maxo’s bars on this.
Never trust a partner, gotta watch ’em cause they janky (What?)
Southwest, Murder Block, where we bang C (Southwest)
Chopper fuck a nigga up like Tay Keith (Let’s get it)
Denzel, no Curry, shoot the 30 like Curry
Up the fire, he retired, tell ’em hang a nigga jersey (Uh)
As for the singles released prior to the album, “Hot One” with TiaCorine & FERG (formerly A$AP Ferg) is a good bop with some decent bars from TiaCorine, and Ferg still has that delivery and energy from him I like; “Black Flag Freestyle” is very monstrous and epic and hearing That Mexican OT on here does get me interested in him as a rapper.
“G’z UP” is one rough (in the best way) track that’ll leave you boppin’ your head, and the parts with 2 Chainz and Mike Dimes weren’t too shabby. To be fair, I kinda liked Dimes’ part on this. “SKED” was another single prior to the album with Kenny Mason, but on the album we have the version where we hear Project Pat and he amps it up well. “Cole Pimp” is a different beast than the rest of the album with it being more of a love song or something for the ladies (maybe?) since it also has Ty Dolla $ign and Juicy J on the record.
“Wishlist” has Denzel collaborating with Armani White (aka that one rapper that did a song literally titled “Billie Eilish”) and the bars on here:
She said she wanna get with me and fuck Armani White (White)
Respectfully declined because I said I got a wife (I got a—)
She said she want a threesome and her best friend is a dyke (Well, goddamn)
Known around the way, I started hearin’ about her type
Always with the ball players, that’s the ones she likes
She got her titties done and I guess they look alright
They call her Princess Peach, she downin’ every nigga pipe (Super Mario, woah)
I said, “Bitch, jumpin’ back, shit been lit, fuck you at?”
She was just runnin’ packs, Emmitt Smith, run it back
She out here makin’ sales, brother and them just caught a body, now she gon’ be payin’ bail
Paintin’ nails, callin’ me Sonic the Hedgehog the way I be chasin’ tail
The last two tracks are pretty solid, with “HIT THE FLOOR” featuring Ski Mask The Slump God and another bop “HOODLUMZ” (with A$AP Rocky & PlayThatBoiZay) ended the album well, and I have to say that I liked Rocky’s flow on there.
My weird homie rock a blonde lace like ’98 Eminem
Him again, nail paint, art, hell nah, I ain’t feminine
I’m way too gifted, trippin’, I’m feeling conflicted
This lifestyle is way too addictive
Fuck it, get lifted, my boy got a plug on prescriptions
I’m sick without feeling no symptoms
Still ain’t no cure for the sickness
Feel like my sisters look better as strippers
All of my brothers is headed to prison
Yeah, this review does seem short, huh? I didn’t find much to complain about, the runtime is all good, the features did their thing and Denzel is still one of the best rappers out there. And even though this album doesn’t have a concept like the last one, it still pays tribute to Southern hip-hop and horrorcore music, notably and obviously Three 6 Mafia.
FINAL VERDICT: BUY IT. The South just got more hot with this heat!
KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH, VOL. 2 is on PH Recordings/Loma Vista Recordings & Concord Music Group. It is available on CD, cassette, vinyl, digital download & on streaming services. Option to buy physical copies is here.