First 48: A New Sophisticated 21 Savage For ‘I Am > I Was’?

One listen in, it’s clear to see that 21 Savage has definitely changed and become a more well rounded person

Welcome to the ‘First 48.’ What’s the ‘First 48’? It is simply the first 48 thoughts that come to mind when listening to an album for the first time. It’s not to be taken as a full review of a project. To diminish an artist’s body of work, no matter the quality, to a review consisting of just forty-eight thoughts would be unfair to everybody involved with the project. ‘First 48’ is more of a book report outline than an actual book report. Think of the biscuits at Red Lobster, that’s the ‘First 48.’ An appetizer that leaves you wanting more.

First 48 meet 21 Savage, 21 Savage meet the First 48. That’s right 21 Savage’s latest release, I Am > I Was gets the First 48 treatment. Coming off a year in which there’s been very little noise from 21 outside of a couple guest verses here and there it’s time to see what Savage has been cooking up and if he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.

Enough table setting it’s time to see if 21 Savage really is greater now than he used to be:

1. *Looks at tracklist* I know there are features on this project. When and why did it become a trend to hide ALL the features on an album?
2. Another annoying album tracklisting trend? Not capitalizing song titles or doing the titles in all caps.
3. According to Apple Music, we got appearances from light skin Jermaine, Schoolboy Q, Post Malone, Childish Gambino, and Lil Baby — you know “wah wah wah bitch I’m the baby”. This is an interesting ass mix of people for a 21 Savage album.
4. Starting off with a soulful beat with a sample that reminds me of cleaning up the house with my mom on a Saturday is definitely a top five way to start an album. Honestly, the only better way to start an album is to start with talking that talk from the jump.
5. And here’s the Jermaine featured that Twitter overhyped. Look it’s okay for a Cole feature to just be really good and not “Oh my god. He went and snapped” as he did on “Looking for Trouble.”
6. Props to Cole for calling out how a lot of these streaming numbers look real funny in the light. At least back in the day if a label wanted to cook numbers, they would have to buy a bunch of their own releases. Now they just play an album on a loop on Apple Music or Spotify. Remember: “Women lie. Men lie. Numbers lie.”
7. Alrighty, it didn’t take long to get back to a more traditional sound on this album. “Break Da Law” is definitely more of what I was expecting sonically from this album.
8. “I got a partner named Dre. You can get beats by Dre.” I laughed at that line and I know it’s childish to do so but hey it was entertaining.
9. Did they just flip Three Six Mafia’s “Ass & Titties” for “A&T”? Yes. Yes, they did.
10. It’s been a great year for the whole Hypnotize Minds camp in terms of being sampled.
11. “She don’t dribble balls but she good with the D.” I really don’t know why I laugh at most of 21’s lines.
12. Wait? Is this one of them City Girls on this? *Looks at credits. Sighs* Yes. Yes, it is.
13. Let me get this straight one of the City Girls is a scammer and used to be on Bad Girls Club and the other one is basically the the female Rick Ross when it comes to homophobia?
14. City Girls make music for women who say they’re nurses but are really just CNAs. They also drive a 2000–2005 Honda Civic and swear that someone is hating on them.
15. That being said, these two are the Great Value version of Trina. They know their lane and stay in it.
16. “Before I walk around trying to act like something I ain’t, I quit rapping.” Dear rappers, take Savage’s approach and stop faking.
17. Something about “Out for the Night” is infectious and has the potential to be a problem come spring time. It also feels like it’s missing a verse or something.
18. Simplistic hooks are undefeated.
19. We get two club-ready tracks and we are right back to the gun talk with “Gun Smoke.”
20. “Run off with your money, Savage aka Jerry Heller.” Easily the most disrespectful line on this album.
21. The whole first verse of “1.5” is essentially 21 Savage in a nutshell. Gun talk, money talk, and avoiding cuddling. I do wonder if young Savage ever cuddled Amber though?

22. This Post Malone record screams “Let’s get Savage another Top 10 Billboard hit.” Sad thing is, the song will probably start making its way up the charts soon.

23. I feel like this song was left over from the same session that the two recorded “Rockstar.” This was probably meant from Post’s last album but didn’t make it for whatever reason. Just like “Magic Stick” was supposed to be for Get Rich or Die Trying.

24. Halfway through the album and out of the seven songs I’ve heard so far, I think three of them have been over three minutes long. Not saying it’s a bad thing or a good thing, just making the observation.

25. “Your momma gonna have to make a GoFundMe, y’all n*ggas keep doing that sneak jabbing.” Why is 21 Savage so rude?

26. Are Lil Baby and Gunna a duo or do they just come packaged together usually? Like Atlanta’s version of Starlito and Don Trip?

27. “I done did a lot in them streets and them facts, PTSD like I came from Iraq.” It’s amazing that nobody has bothered to take the time and actually look at the effects of growing up in a drug-riddled, underprivileged, and violence filled environment does to the human psyche.

28. “I was getting some head earlier and you crossed my mind.” Do you know how TRASH the head has to be for someone to be thinking about somebody else that they fell out with while getting head from you? Imagine you channeling your inner Super Head, Roxy Reynolds or Teanna Trump and the n*gga sitting there thinking about his dog that crossed him.

29. The sequencing on this album is really starting to throw me off. I go from a reflective, easygoing track right back into gun talk then to something relaxing.

30. This Schoolboy Q verse on “Good Day” left me wondering “Where the hell has Q been all year?” Definitely one of the best guest verses I’ve heard all year.

31. Do we get a Project Pat sample and an actual Project Pat verse? Yes, yes we do. I’m always here for Project Pat and his trademark flow.

32. How to write a hook in 2018: Write two to three lines, say those lines, repeat said lines. Wash, rinse and repeat.

33. 21 Savage and Childish Gambino really did a record together? I know I saw the Gambino feature in the description for the album but I thought it may have been a credited sample or something. Definitely was expecting the gem they gave us with “Monster.”

34. The growth of Donald Glover/Childish Gambino is amazing to look at. From being a niche internet rapper that no one took seriously to becoming one of the biggest names in music is amazing, especially considering how rapping is a hobby for him.

35. Gambino managed to do a J. Cole guest verse better than J. Cole. You know exactly what I mean by a J. Cole guest verse too.

36. I love when artists just let the beat breathe at the end of a song. That last minute of nothing but the piano and the sounds of kids playing is just greatness.

37. “Letter 2 My Momma” is definitely in 21’s top ten tracks of his career.

38. Why didn’t he close the album with this?

39. “Letter 2 My Momma” > “Dear Mama” > “Hey Mama”

40. “Cap-ass, rap-ass, bat her in her back ass” reminds me of the gem brought to us by Clifford Harris on “Never Scared.”

41. “Malcolm might get killed in the middle”…“Tryna spend the night, you must be fucking or somethin”…“I want you to suck me like you sucking your thumb.” All third verse. All gospel.

42. I could really do without “4L” on this album. If it had to make the album then put it somewhere after “Gun Smoke.”

43. Sequencing really killed this album. Switch a few of these tracks around and you have a significantly stronger album. Then again that sequencing helps this album feel shorter than its runtime suggests.

44. With all the features on this album, 21 somehow managed to not be outshined by any of them. Yes, that includes the J. Cole feature.

45. Speaking of Cole, the best features ranked were: Q, Project Pat, Gambino, and then J. Cole with one of the City Girls behind him.

46. Highlights are definitely: “Good Day,” “A&T,” “Letter 2 My Momma,” and “Ball w/o You”

47. 21 Savage really gave us a solid album. It’s definitely one of the better albums released this year. Probably the most surprising album in terms of quality.

48. Savage’s adlibs are definitely top two in the game right now and they ain’t number two.

It’s clear that since releasing Without Warning and ISSA last year that 21 Savage decided to take a long look at exactly who he is as a person and as an artist. While the gun talk, drug talk, and strip club records are still very much present it’s clear that 21 has undergone some change in his life.

With that growth as a person came growth as an artist, cause there’s no way that when 21 Savage first broke onto the scene anybody saw him rapping with Childish Gambino about the pitfalls of success and wealth in the rap game. I Am > I Was is exactly that, 21 Savage showing us that he is a better person and artist than he used to be. But please don’t be mistaken the Glock is always tucked on 21. Like Jermaine said, “… That’s when I knew. You a stand up n*gga.”

Jacob DeLawrence is a wizard with words. Follow him on Twitter, @_jdela.

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