Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, universally known as “Gunna,” dropped his album “DS4Ever” on Jan. 7 and was ranked as the number one album in the country on the Billboard 200.
Overall, the album is one of his best works of art. Gunna is always able to produce some of the most high-quality music in hip-hop and never seems to disappoint his listeners.
The first song, called “Private Island,” is very slow-paced and a lot calmer than other songs he has produced. I was surprised with a slow song to start out the album; it was short, but the melody was memorable.
The second song, and more or less considered the most popular song on the album featuring Young Thug and Future, is known as “pushing P”. This song is similar to other songs Gunna has produced, with an upbeat tempo and fast-paced theme. Gunna and Future’s unique collaboration marks a hallmark in the former’s career, and the song popularized the viral phrase “Pushing P.”
“How You Did That” featuring Kodak Black is similar to other songs Gunna has produced, with a loud bass and fast-paced tempo. Kodak Black’s feature on the song is unusual because Black has a very unique voice and niche fan base. Both artists’ voices matched well together and rhythmically synced with the backtrack. It was a highlight on the album.
Other songs disappoint. In Gunna’s 9th song, “You & Me,” the swing and tempo did not match Gunna’s voice well. The lyrics, too, didn’t make much sense, and it felt like this was just a filler song instead of a one made with effort. The track is one of the least played songs in the entire album, and it’s very clear as to why.
“25K Jacket” was arguably one of the best songs in the entire album, mainly due to the collaboration with famous rapper Lil Baby. He starts off the song rapping at a very rapid pace, and unlike “You & Me,” the lyrics made sense, though both artists use the track to highlight their material possessions and exploits. It’s clear that both artists put plenty of effort into the song, and it didn’t disappoint.
One of the final songs, “Missing Me,” seemed very cheap and crummy. As the title suggests, it had a romance-oriented theme, but Gunna’s voice and musical style does not suit romantic works. Regardless of his thematic expertise, Gunna didn’t sound very good in the song and the piece had very generic, nondescript lyrics. Listeners can barely understand Gunna’s message, and it ranks as one of the least popular songs in “DS4Ever.”
Overall, Gunna really outdid himself with this album. It is one of the most notable releases in the hip-hop world and starts 2022 with a well-regarded work, but individual songs are hit-or-miss.
