Sheck Wes Shows What He's Got In Debut Album "MUDBOY"

Amongst the new generation of rappers, Sheck Wes has been on the come up. His debut album tells his story and shows that he’s not a one-trick pony, either. Sheck Wes shows what he’s got in his debut album MUDBOY.

Any rapper needs to be able to deliver some hype songs, and Sheck Wes doesn’t stray from that. ‘Mo Bamba‘ is one of his most popular tracks, and definitely one of the strongest on the record, simply just for its energy and the way he flows on the beat. ‘Never Lost' is another solid track, with a decent flow and an overall good beat. Many tracks exhibit energy but fall just short of greatness, like ‘Live Sheck Wes,’ which gets the record off to a rolling start after the dark but overall underwhelming ‘Mindfucker.’ ‘Live Sheck Wes’ is great until the end, where the constant chanting of “Gang!“ gets old fast.

MUDBOY overall is a mixed bag. There’s not many tracks that really stand above the rest, but many at least fall in line with others. The anger of ‘WESPN,‘ for example, pairs with the rage and angst in ‘Fuck Everybody.’ While other aggressive tracks like ‘Wanted‘ keep the record at least somewhat enjoyable, many others just don’t quite deliver. ‘Kyrie‘ is very awkward with its aggressive basketball references, as if it really has to sell that it’s about basketball like it wasn’t already clear. For what it’s worth, the beats on the record are pretty interesting, especially the one in ‘Gmail‘ with its chaotic samples. The end of the record chills out a bit for Sheck Wes to get a bit more honest, starting in the reflective ‘Danimals.’ Closing track ‘Vetements Socks‘ takes the record out on a chill yet intriguing note, but the lyrics are a bit odd.

Sheck Wes shows what he’s got in his debut album MUDBOY, proving he’s able to handle different types of beats well. However, he still has a was to go before he really begins to own his sound. The best tracks on MUDBOY still don’t compete with some of the more respected acts, but perhaps he’ll find his way there soon enough.

Favorite Track: Mo Bamba

Least Favorite Track: Kyrie

Rating: 64 / 100

Stream or buy MUDBOY on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: