Steve 'Flash' JuonThings have been going steadily downhill since Lil Pump’s first album. Initially he had the benefit of a viral song with a catchy hook and good beat. In terms of commercial success the follow-up did millions of units and streams, but in terms of musical and lyrical quality it was a total mess. Well hey at least he’s “winning” right? Except Lil Pump stays losing with behavioral issues, legal problems and tax liens. That’s not exactly the image of someone who made it as a rapper right? Maybe wilding out and getting in fights with law enforcement would be cliche, but if he’s making big bank he should at least be able to pay his bills. Tax is the one thing they’ll get you on in the end. They couldn’t get Al Capone for being a gangster or criminal but they put him behind bars for unpaid income taxes. Shit’s real like that.
“Watch how I blow through a million” – Lil Pump
That might be the most honest and accurate thing Lil Pump ever rapped. I’m more skeptical of lines like “none of my cars ain’t rented” (although the double negative might make it accurate) and “I’m in Ukraine with a semi.” C’mon Pump. Let’s not even joke about that. I’d say “Racks to the Ceiling” is offensive, but it would have to offend me first. It makes me yawn to hear him brag about stacking money to the roof when he doesn’t even handle his finances properly. Maybe instead of stacking money he should invest it in stocks and bonds. Hell even crypto would be better (no I take that back he’d lose it even faster). Stop stacking it, stop blowing it, start building wealth.
While “No Name” is an inaccurate title for an album by the (in)famous Lil Pump, “It’s Whatever” is certainly accurate when it comes to Pump and J. I’m struggling to care about this repetitive, low budget Kenny Beats knock off instrumental or this tandem bragging about their wealth and guns. They actually run out of things to say before the beat fades out and the song just continues on awkwardly for another 20-30 seconds before they start to repeat the hook again. That’s embarrassing. They could have mixed it to stop where they did instead of letting it ride out. That’s just sloppy work.
Someone should tell Pump that imitating Baby (Birdman) is not a good look, except if we’re all being honest about it Baby was/is a hundred times better as an emcee. All Pump can do is copy his signature bird calls. He doesn’t even have the emotional ability to do anything but yell his lines into a mic, repeat them over again, and hope that Ronny J’s production can save the day. That’s actually J’s most important part to these proceedings. He and Two-Five can’t save songs as dumb as “Come Get Her” though.
“God damn!
Snuck in the club with this lil’ .22
I wanna fuck you and you and you
Wakanda my wonton soup
Spent ten bands on this Dior suit
UFO, brand new space coupe”
Every song illustrates Lil Pump’s depth or more accurately the lack thereof. There are only four things he can do — spend money, get loaded, have sex and shoot guns. To write a Lil Pump song just do any of those things in any order and repeat four of the bars about eight times. At least you can say “Do What I Want” is truth in advertising. Whether it’s in his lyrics or in his real life, Lil Pump does what he wants when he wants and never thinks about it. “Thinking” is the operative word here. I have a feeling he’s self-medicated so many times that he’s operating on autopilot at this point. There’s no thought process any more. He zombie walks through life on instinct.
There’s nothing else to say. “No Name” has some decent bass beats, so maybe if it was instrumental only I could stand it for a while longer, but even then the repetitiveness and complete lack of melody would still ultimately kill it for me. This album isn’t just a hard pass, it’s a hard shit that won’t flush and makes you get out the plunger to deal with the stinky mess.