6LACK has never been the type to chase accolades and be the loudest in the music industry. Since FREE 6LACK, he built his name on quiet melancholy and muted production highlighting his lyrics and voice. On his fourth studio album Love Is the New Gangsta, he steps into something bigger and more confrontational than anything he has attempted before.
Unlike the quiet devastation of East Atlanta Love Letter or the romantic tenderness of Since I Have A Lover, this album feels both restless and purposeful. The album uses sounds and inspiration from classic hip hop and soul beats to create a sonically diverse listening experience for his fans while sticking to the album’s conflicting theme of self destruction versus love.
The opener of the album “Bird Flu” immediately set the introspective tone for the album. The production of the track mixes soul and R&B to create a sound that seems more refined than what many have heard from 6LACK in the past. Additionally, the lyrics create an opening that feels more like a statement with a specific theme centered around love and vulnerability.
Tracks throughout Love Is the New Gangsta continue to showcase 6LACK’s ability to balance intricate production with emotional weight. Songs such as “Sunday Again” and “Vision” drift farther to the side of melodic R&B allowing for his vocals to shine through. Meanwhile “Ashin’ the Blunt” and “TRAUMA” bring a more gritty and experimental dynamic to the album. This continuous shifting that is seen throughout the album makes the album feel more intriguing and alive than most of his other projects.
The central theme or message of the album is built around the idea that that love requires courage and confrontation rather than just feelings. Songs like “Through the High Wire” lie in moments of uncertainty and pressure, while other tracks like “Vision” offer moments of clarity. Rather than separating love and struggle, 6LACK makes a case in which they mean the same thing.
However, the album does carry some inconsistencies. The wide range of production that 6LACK attempts to cover occasionally disrupts the momentum of the album, with some of the tracks feeling emptier or less refined than others. At times the production also overshadows the songwriting, softening the emotional impact the lyrics are clearly reaching for.
Overall, Love Is the New Gangsta is a significant step forward compared to the other bodies of work that 6LACK has released. The album feels incredibly cohesive and purposeful with a clear message and mission that it builds around. For that reason, Love Is the New Gangsta gets a rating of 8.4/10.
