I AM MUSIC Album Review

Peak. If I were to use one word to describe Playboi Carti’s new album I AM MUSIC, that is what I would use. With massive features from Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, 2 time Superbowl performing Kendrick Lamar, and the recently freed Young Thug. This album has long-awaited tracks like EVIL JORDAN and H00DBYAIR (now renamed HBA). I AM MUSIC has been a massive sensation before it even released, with leaked songs being streamed more than some artists' new albums. Concert performances of previews of the new album being recorded and uploaded have racked up millions of views on YouTube. At first, people were scared that these previews and leaks would spoil the album but that is far from the truth. The album dropped with 30 tracks, 25 of which have never been heard before, leaving fans and hip-hop enthusiasts alike far from disappointed.

Playboi Carti, formerly known as Jordan Carter, is a rapper from Atlanta. Born in 1995, he is currently 29 years old and one of the most popular rappers currently, with almost 60 million monthly listeners. He got his start in 2017 with the release of his self-titled album, and he continued his career by releasing albums like Die Lit and Whole Lotta Red. Carti has been in the spotlight with a lot of controversy recently, from the danger in pits at his concerts, to the abandonment of his child with Iggy Azalea. Playboi Carti is notorious for trying to be mysterious, but that has spiraled out into making questionable decisions. He was paid $6 million to hop on a stream with Adin Ross, only to say a few words and leave the room, taking the money with him. Though Carti has made some questionable choices, his fans still stay loyal and he keeps producing absolute bangers.

I AM MUSIC has reportedly been in the works since 2020, when Playboi Carti dropped his last album, Whole Lotta Red. The album was unofficially announced at a concert in 2022 but wasn’t officially announced until December of 2023 with the release of Carti’s single titled 2024. I AM MUSIC was originally advertised to release within 2024, hence the single’s name. Due to repeated delays and false promises, the album did not release until March 14, 2025. The album suffered many delays and false release dates to the point where fans started joking “same time next week” every time the album got announced and didn't drop. Even with Times Square billboards, posts from Carti himself, and posts from streaming platforms, no one could ever be sure that the announcement would be true. Then came March 14th. With the album slated to release at 12:00 AM, many fans stayed up, only to be disappointed that there was no new album on Carti’s profile. Carti himself posted that the album had suffered a 3 hour delay, and with that the fans' disappointment only grew. With past release dates the same thing had happened, only for no album to release. Even though Carti gave the fans so many reasons not to trust him, they listened and stayed up for 3 more hours (myself included). As 3AM came and went with no album, fans lost hope and went to sleep. Yet they woke up to the pleasant surprise of the album out at 7:39 AM EST, nearly 8 hours after its set release.

The album is littered with hits, skips, and some just straight mid tracks, but overall the album is quite overpopulated and has some room for improvement. But what about each individual song? At 30 tracks and lasting over an hour, this is Carti’s longest album, so I can’t go over every song. This album heavily uses something called features, where an artist will give a different artist a verse on their song, similar to a celebrity cameo in a movie or TV show.  The album starts with the track POP OUT which is a very intense track with no features. POP OUT definitely sets a tone for the album but is not the strongest track here. I AM MUSIC has many notable tracks like CRUSH (feat. Travis Scott), EVIL J0RDAN, PHILLY (feat. Travis Scott), RATHER LIE (feat. The Weeknd), WAKE UP F1LTHY (feat. Travis Scott), GOOD CREDIT (feat. Kendrick Lamar), And HBA (formerly known as H00DBYAIR). Some say that the features are the best part of the album, but I’d disagree with that. Sure, Carti’s lyricism is not on point, but as the “king of mumble rap,” no one expects crazy bars from him. 

I’d argue that the strongest part of this album is it’s production. Many songs on this album were produced by F1lthy, Mike Dean, Metro Boomin, SWAMP IZZO, and even the controversial Kanye West. The album also features some bad tracks: RADAR has what I consider to be Metro Boomin’s worst beat to date, and many, many songs are just plain forgettable. Though the album isn't necessarily carried by the features, the artists featured do not hold back. Jacques Bermon Webster II (also known as Travis Scott) gives some Grammy-worthy performances on his tracks, Lil Uzi Vert gives the performance of a lifetime on JUMPIN, and Kendrick continues his high after the Super Bowl by giving phenomenal performances on three tracks, making MUSIC the first album to receive multiple Kendrick Lamar features since his cousin Baby Keem released The Melodic Blue. Overall, the album is solid, but Carti was playing it safe, not changing his style like he did with Whole Lotta Red. 

I give the album an 8.5/10.