“Higher” gets quite a bit of attention because of it’s feature of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle and the melancholy that it is bound to evoke in its listeners. The late king of LA delivers two excellent verses in his first release since his passing. His first verse is uplifting and motivating as he raps about his grandparents and how he came to be in America. For the second verse, Khaled switches the beat to something less grand and more mischievous. Nipsey matches this instrumental perfectly and reflects on the harder parts of his life living in South Central. This verse is harder to listen to now that we know Nipsey’s tragic fate. Lines like, “Emptied out the clip, it was broad day/Fuck niggas always gotta learn the hard way” hit different when you’ve seen videos of the late rapper getting shot in the middle of the day. John Legend jumps in for the chorus, giving the track a sentimental touch.
“Freak N You” combines the raw talent of a rap veteran Lil Wayne with Atlanta native Gunna, who made it big in 2016 from a feature on Young Thug’s track “Floyd Mayweather” and has since become a very sought after voice in the rap game. The track is infectious, catchy, and holds all the qualities of a hit.
“Top off” features the the holy trinity of Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Future and was one of the singles released last year as a prelude to the album. Although this record has gotten mixed reviews, it’s hard to deny that those three can deliver hard hitting lyrics and top notch vocals.
Lastly, “Thank You” with Big Sean presents a classic mellow beat and smooth flow. It references Sean’s ex and one of the world’s leading artists, Ariana Grande, with the lyric “Plus I gotta thank my exes on some ‘thank u, next shit,’” stirring some questions about their relationship.
Father of Asahd delivers a handful of radio hits (“No Brainer”), following in the footsteps of his previous albums, yet also throws in a few distinct tracks that cut deep and are more personalized to certain audiences (“Higher”). As expected, it includes top artists across the hip-hop/rap genre, making it easy for listeners to enjoy at least one if not several tracks from this album. While the album lacks any kind of cohesion, unity, or themes, that should be expected with a DJ Khaled record and listeners should be able to take the collaborative album at face value and have fun with it.
Favorite Tracks:
Just Us (Feat. SZA)
Higher (Feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend)
Freak N You (Feat. Lil Wayne & Gunna)
Rating: 6
Listen to Father Of Asahd here: