Playboi Carti
Die Lit

With its repeated and catchy arpeggios, powerful and distorted basses, and the 808 drum machine full of hi-hats and claps like there's no tomorrow, Trap music has recently been gradually ingrained in every possible mainstream hit and beyond, defining a new sound that is no longer limited to Atlanta alone, the city where the so-called "trap houses" (abandoned houses used as drug dens) gave name to the most divisive yet beloved subgenre of rap in recent years, now present globally, from America, through France and Latin American countries, reaching Italy with the much-discussed Sfera Ebbasta, Ghali, etc.

The United States remains the most interesting country regarding the spread of this musical genre: lately, unfortunately, we are also witnessing a certain flattening in the style and originality of new rappers (see the overrated Lil Baby), and so far, all normal. After all, Trap is now the sound of the moment that everyone wants to replicate and perfect in order to conquer the charts, the classic "deterioration" of a phenomenon that leaves its niche (who remembers dubstep? Or worse, the "Emo" period?)

In the trap melting pot, however, there is also Jordan Carter, aka Playboi Carti, a character as discussed as he is loved: Carti started his career in 2012 and until 2015 remained tied to the figure of an underground rapper by uploading his tracks mainly on Soundcloud, achieving modest success and gradually building a small fanbase. Then, in 2016, he was noticed by A$ap Rocky and gradually became a support figure for the New York A$ap crew and a testimonial for the brand Vlone, created by the same A$ap Mob.

In 2017, his commercial mixtape "Playboi Carti" was released, which had great success, primarily due to the overwhelming "Magnolia", a song that perfectly outlines the unique style of which Carti is the spokesperson: minimal rap in every aspect, essential in production (drums, bass, and melody literally stripped to the bone) and an almost obsessive repetition of the chorus, in the manner of a slogan. Carti's carefree and punk attitude generates both approvals and criticisms, yet his uniqueness in sound and microphone presence has greatly influenced recent Trap productions (a couple of examples: "The Race" by Tay-k, "Rubbin' off the paint" by YBN Nahmir, "Praise the Lord" by A$ap Rocky and Skepta, just to name a few of the most famous Trap tracks).

This brings us to the first official album: the first thing you notice is that cover that recalls a purely punk context: the pogo, mosh pits, and stage dives with a backflip in perfect Bad Brains style. With this, Carti wants to immediately make us understand that his rap has a punk nature, not very technical and focused on the essentials: and already from the intro (Long Time), the premises are fulfilled: melody, drums, and lyrics are all reduced to the bare minimum, but they work a lot: Carti enjoys using his voice as an instrument, sometimes in an exaggerated and over-the-top way, yet he still manages to create a very chill mood over psychedelic and hallucinatory beats.
R.I.P reaffirms the punk attitude of the project: under an excessively distorted bass, Carti, with no shame, keeps mumbling verses and ad-libs as if there’s no tomorrow: with Lean 4 Real the atmosphere becomes much darker and features a Skepta who leaves his mark with his distinctive flow with a typically London accent.
As you continue listening, however, you begin to notice the presence of some "filler" tracks inserted somewhat haphazardly: this is the case with the forgettable Old Money, Poke It Out (with a rather annoying and out-of-place Nicki Minaj in an album of this kind), Home (KOD), and Middle of the summer. All quite banal and easily interchangeable tracks, yet the rest of the album presents many highlights: from the hallucinatory "Love Hurts" with a top form Travis Scott, to the playful "Shoota", then reaching the trio of absolute ignorance with three total bangers: Mileage with Chief Keef, the dreamy No Time with Gunna, and the absolute epitome of ignorant and silly tracks: FlatBed Freestyle, hypnotic track with high replay value if you love this kind of sound, a real gem. The rest of the album continues with ups and downs with some excessive features (the uselessness of Bryson Tiller, Minaj, etc.) and some definitely welcome ones (the legendary Chief Keef and Young Thug above all).

Ultimately, "Die Lit" once again confirms the schizophrenic and somewhat weird, somewhat catchy uniqueness of Playboi Carti. The only flaws noticeable when listening are some out-of-context collaborations and those poorly executed filler tracks that could easily have been avoided. However, it remains one of the most peculiar and interesting projects of 2018 without a shadow of a doubt, recommended if you don't give a damn about real rap and just want something light to blast violently in the car on Monday morning in your new Maserati.