Polo G, Chicago’s Youngest MVP: 'THE GOAT' Album Review
Since its birth in the early 2010s, Drill music has been used to fuel negative stereotypes on Black men.
Artists such as Lil Durk and Chief Keef are believed to be glorifying a life of violence and criminality. The connotation that Drill music has had, is honestly unfair; the violent lyrics and music videos are purely forms of artistic expression. It’s a genre dominated by the Black community’s disadvantaged youth, who strive to tell their stories the best way they can. This way of life was not a choice for these young men, the root of why Drill music exists in the first place is a whole new article in itself.
However, the conversation at hand is about Polo G, an artist who shows that Chicago Drill may be the most socially aware genre in rap.
In track 1 “Don’t Believe The Hype”, Polo raps about drug addiction, lost loved ones, and the lack of support he’s dealt with in his life. We hear Polo admit it’s hard for him to find the line between his old life and a new life (“He want all them niggas dead, it's sad to say, but I feel him / If I ain't had so much to lose, I'd be riskin' it with him”). Mostly though we hear Polo brag about his fame, and how he persevered to get there (“They weren't with me through my struggles, all this shit I sacrificed / I climbed out the darkness, now my Patek shinin' bright”).
Track 2 is the certified gold single “Heartless” featuring Dj Mustard. The first half of this song describes Polo in his essence: a ladies man, a proud Chicago native, and an aspiring businessman (see Polo break down the meaning of the hit single for Genius).
Track 6, “21” is one of the best on the album. It’s Polo’s 21st birthday, and what may have him reminiscing on this track so much is how many people he’s known who haven’t made it to 21. He mentions the passing of another Chicago G.O.A.T Juice Wrld, whose untimely death reminds him to not fall back into the habit of abusing drugs. “Can't relapse off these drugs, man, R.I.P. to Juice / We was tweakin' off them Percs, I popped my last one with you.” Polo’s raps are often all over the place, but it’s delivered in the best possible way. Almost every line in the second verse refers to a different point in Polo’s life, and the lives of those he loves. Polo raps about being successful ever since he started rapping and never being satisfied with his achievements, to then commenting on how Chicago’s streets resemble battlefields at times. Every bar Polo delivers paints a picture into the listener’s head on this track. My favorite line by far is “Took losses in these streets, shit got me singin' gang blues”. “Gang Blues” might be the best description of Drill music I’ve ever heard.
Track 8 is “I Know”, an extremely emotional song. In the chorus Polo raps about losing the life of a dear friend, it seems as if he lost the friend while he was famous. He shared drugs, good times, and bad times with this friend; but still they lost their life. “How the fuck I wake up from a dream to a nightmare?” Is this line an indication that Polo may feel some guilt for being able to escape his past lifestyle? If the line is what I think it is, this may be why Polo struggles to see the advantages of fame since all of his friends can’t live like him. The track also features how hard it was to grow up in Chicago, and how it’s hard to find a girl who wants him for a reason other than his fame.
Track 15 “Trials & Tribulations”, leaked on Soundcloud the day the album was set to release and I’ve got to admit… I probably replayed this song for an hour straight. “Trials and Tribulations” starts off with another great chorus from Polo, he might have the best hooks in the game right now. Almost all of Polo G’s songs revolve around life in Chicago, which is pretty funny considering people from other places say Chicagoans never stop talking about Chicago. The streets of Chicago are what made Polo the man he is today, and he learned early on that no one could save him but himself. People who aren’t accustomed to life in the streets often make it seem like you always have a choice, or that getting help is an easy task, but Polo knows this isn’t true. “Them streets'll turn a good kid into a cold lil' savage / No point in church 'cause the preacher can't keep them poles from clappin' / It seem like evil and my soul attractin'”. As soon we wiped our eyes from hearing that chorus, midway into the first verse we hear Polo say “Hood on my back, was bustin' two-fours like Kobe Bryant / Sometimes I think like what's the likelihood of Kobe dyin'?”. I don’t think I’ll EVER get used to Kobe’s death. This song is one of Polo’s “tell-alls”, he’s always honest with fans, and he could care less about haters cause he knows his message will reach those who need to hear it.
Finally, we’re at the last track, “Wishing For A Hero” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid. The song samples 2Pac’s song “Changes” and at first, it gave me mixed feelings. There’s always something off about hearing artists sample 2Pc tracks to me, but now it’s my favorite from the whole album. The song proves that Polo is the most socially aware rapper from Chicago since Kanye (don’t @ me). He raps about how his Blackness puts him in a constant emotional, and physical battle with himself and others. He raps about Black on Black crime being a direct result of racism. He even hints at self-hate and drug addiction. Hearing a man who was conditioned to hate himself, rap like this puts a smile on my face.
The originators of Drill Music are Chicagoans, so it makes sense that now in 2020, Polo G and other Chicago artists are taking the genre to new heights. In my opinion, Drill is a genre that describes daily life in the streets; all of the violent and dark details are embedded in the music. Now that many of our favorite Drill artists are no longer in the streets (Chief Keef, G Herbo, Lil Durk, and Polo G), much of their music describes past ordeals and the struggles of putting the street life behind them. Is this an evolution of what Drill once was, or are the artists mentioned no longer a part of the Drill scene?
favorite songs:
21
Trials & Tribulations
Wishing For A Hero (Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid)
Rating: 9
Listen to THE GOAT here:
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