Rethinking Atlanta’s Trap Sound with Young Nudy and Pi’erre Bourne on “Sli’merre”
By Carter Fife
For the past three years, few upcoming rappers have generated as much hype as Young Nudy. While relatively unknown to the mainstream, Nudy’s 2016 mixtape Slimeball and its successors have steadily pushed him further into hip-hop’s spotlight, with Nudy collaborating with Juicy J, Metro Boomin, and even his cousin, 21 Savage. Despite all of these newfound contacts, Nudy still remains close with his longtime peer Pi’erre Bourne, who has stayed close to Nudy ever since before the release of his debut mixtape. Five years later, Young Nudy and Pi’erre Bourne have reunited once again to create Sli’merre.
The two singles released prior to the album’s drop date were well received by many. ‘Mister’ featuring 21 Savage contains the two Atlanta-based rappers rapping over the same airy-woodwinds that have dominated many modern trap beats. While some claimed that Nudy’s performance on the track emulated the likes of other rappers such as Gucci Mane too much, others still enjoyed the hi-hat and 808-laden track as the perfect summertime anthem. ‘Extendo’ featuring Lil Uzi Vert drew similar complaints, but yet even critics could not deny the catchiness of the track. In classic Pi’erre Bourne fashion, the beat itself is arranged with many interweaving instruments and pads creating a simultaneously ambient and engaging banger. After all, the latest Uzi drought has left fans so hungry for new music that nobody minded when he said ‘She on my wood like a pencil’. Despite the strength of these two singles, the album was unable to live up to the hype.
While there are many high points on the album, Sli’merre is largely dominated by songs that sound unfinished, rushed, and overly derivative of other artists. The album kicks off with ‘Long Ride’, a song that features the same Charlie-Brown reminiscent instrumentation and dissonant musical intervals that are mainstays on producer Pi’erre Bourne’s tool belt. Although the beat is enjoyable, the percussion does not resonate in the same way that many of Pi’erre’s other beats have in the past. Nudy’s writing on the song is frankly lazy and sounds much closer to a reference track than a finished project. This is a common trend on the album, as songs like ‘Hot Wings’, ‘Black Hippie, White Hipster’, and ‘Swisher Backwood’ come so close to being fun and exciting bangers, but end up feeling unfinished due to both the efforts of both Pi’erre and Nudy.
‘Dispatch’ features a painfully boring and unoriginal Dababy feature that sounds like he was asked to do his best Blocboy JB or Youngboy NBA impression, and definitely not in a good way. In terms of the other features, the album does a great job in making each of these features important and not too-dominating on each track. Megan Thee Stallion gives a great verse on ‘Shotta’, and her aggressive cadence pairs nicely with Nudy’s confident and melancholic rapping. ’Sunflower’, ‘Call Dat Bitch Homicide’ and ‘Gas Station’ are all high points on the album, where no matter how much Nudy tries, he can’t seem to take the spotlight from Pi’erre’s production. Each beat stands out as unique, sounding almost like they were influenced by Pi’erre’s work with Cardo earlier this year.
Although Sli’merre fails to live up to the expectations set out by its two leading singles, there are still definitely reasons to listen to, and even revisit this album this summer. Nudy’s Gucci Mane-esque tone is infectious, and his brief moments of singing are just as entertaining as they are brief. Though Sli’merre is not without its low points, such as DaBaby’s weak verse, Nudy’s rushed writing or the occasional unfinished beat, Sli’merre is certain to have something for everybody.
Favorite Tracks:
Mister (Feat. 21 Savage)
Extendo (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert)
Call That Bitch Homicide
Rating: 6
Listen to Sli’merre here:
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