Playboi Carti’s I AM MUSIC starts off with eerie, distorted beats and avant-garde vocal performances that suggest something exciting is brewing. For a moment, it feels like he might be onto something groundbreaking. The production is otherworldly, the atmosphere unsettling, and the energy unpredictable. But as the album progresses, what initially seems like experimental brilliance starts feeling like a drawn-out fever dream—one that loops endlessly without ever truly evolving. The repetitive song structures, abrasive ad-libs, and often incomprehensible vocal delivery create an experience that is as frustrating as it is fascinating.
It’s like stepping into a haunted house that’s initially thrilling, but after a while, every room starts looking the same. The features? Surprisingly solid. But Carti himself? Well… let’s break it down.
The album kicks off with Pop Out, a menacing, stripped-down opener that sets an intriguing tone. The beat is warped and atmospheric, drawing listeners in with its hypnotic eeriness. Crush, featuring Travis Scott, leans heavily into repetition, deconstructing rap until it barely qualifies as a song. Travis makes a brief, uninspired appearance, but at this point, that’s almost expected. K Pop attempts to push boundaries but ends up sounding more like a parody of a Playboi Carti track than an actual one.
By the time Evil Jordan rolls around, the beats remain menacing, but the vocal performances begin to feel increasingly phoned in. Still, there are moments where Carti’s chaotic energy works in his favor. Mojo Jojo stands out with its spacey, trippy production and a hilariously quotable line (“He a goon, flash out!”). Radar dials up the energy with blaring, over-the-top trumpets, creating a moment of unhinged hype. Then there’s Rather Lie, which essentially feels like a Weeknd song featuring Playboi Carti—and that’s why it’s one of the strongest tracks here.
But as the album drags on, things start to blur together. Fine Shit makes it unclear whether Carti is experimenting with vocal effects or if an entirely different artist hopped on the track. Munyun suffers from an overpowering distorted bass that drowns out everything else, making it borderline unlistenable. By the time we hit Crank, the realization sets in—these songs are all starting to sound the same. The formula? Random loud ad-libs, unpredictable vocal choices, and production that fluctuates between inspired and outright repetitive.
Even when major guests step in, the results are hit or miss. Charge Dem Hoes A Fee should be a highlight—Future’s presence alone should elevate it—but instead, it gets lost in the album’s redundancy. Good Credit, featuring Kendrick Lamar, momentarily shakes things up, thanks to Kendrick’s commanding presence. His brief, yet electrifying, appearance makes you wish he had an entire verse instead of just popping in and out. Future finally locks in on Trim, delivering one of the more engaging performances on the record. Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign inject some much-needed energy into We Need All Da Vibes, a track that, for once, doesn’t feel like it’s on autopilot.
But just when it seems like things might pick up, the latter half of the album delivers an onslaught of indistinguishable tracks. Like Weezy is unintentionally comedic—Carti’s delivery sounds like Tyrone Biggums rapping over a Zelda flute beat. Dis 1 Got It at least tries to add texture with some eerie piano, but by this point, the fatigue is real. Walk, HBA, and Overly all blur into the same distorted, chaotic mess, making the closing stretch feel like an endurance test.
The album finally winds down with South Atlanta Baby, a track that benefits solely from signaling that the experience is over. As a closer, it doesn’t particularly stand out, but after an album that often feels like an experimental endurance test, its main strength is simply providing closure.
At its best, I AM MUSIC offers unique production and a handful of tracks that genuinely push boundaries. At its worst, it’s a tedious, exhausting ride that tests patience more than it rewards curiosity. The beats are easily the most engaging part, showcasing an avant-garde approach that, in theory, should make the album stand out. But Carti’s vocal performances—often nasal, slurred, and buried under layers of distortion—make it difficult to stay engaged. He thrives in chaotic, experimental spaces, but without enough variety or standout moments, this project feels more like a half-baked art experiment than a defining statement.
Carti has always been an artist who leans into the bizarre, embracing unconventionality with reckless abandon. I AM MUSIC doesn’t lack ambition—it lacks refinement. The ideas are there, the energy is present, but without sharper execution and better pacing, it struggles to maintain its initial intrigue. This album is a reminder that being different isn’t always the same as being innovative, and while Carti’s approach remains distinct, it doesn’t always translate into something memorable.
RATING: 6/10
NOTABLE TRACKS:
crush
Rather Lie
Good Credit