These days it’s hard to tell what is more intriguing: ‘s music or his entanglement with the Kardashian clan. The title of his new album, “The Gold Album: The 18th Dynasty,” may or may not reference the 17-year-old Kylie Jenner, who turns 18 soon and is rumored to be dating the pint sized rapper.
To those who aren’t in the world of reality televised drama, though, Tyga is the spry MC whose hooks and flamboyant raps made him one of the hottest young stars in the mid-2000s. For a time he was more tabloid target than rhyme dropper, until he suddenly released “The Gold Album” last week. Though we don’t get the hunger of a relatively unknown motivated young rapper on the new release, it’s certainly a solid effort.
Most of the tracks on the album sound like Tyga wrote them while staring in the mirror and drawing up the highest notions of himself. On “God Talk,” he likens himself to king of the mountain over a spastic violin beat and the rhymes affirm that he’s more than reality TV fodder. We see Tyga in warrior mode on “Shaka Zulu,” but itap not as believable as it is entertaining because the production is so stellar. That kind of back and forth is present throughout all 12 songs, vacillating between believable and forced. Even Lil Wayne, who has been knocking his features out of the park, turns in a yawner of a verse on “4 My Dawgs.”
The good news is Tyga has made plenty of money from his “Lime in the Coconut” days and gets to celebrate with big face Rolex watches and extravagant vacations. These details on tracks like “Pure Luxury” show Tyga in his most authentic element. He likes nice things and wants everyone to covet what he has. Perhaps he fits in with the Kardashians better than we thought, after all.
