Lost Planet EP - Smokepurpp: Review

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Smokepurpp

is a Florida SoundCloud rapper who blew up on the back of his 2017 single Audi which would eventually land on 2017 moderately well received Deadstar mixtape. After a less favorable collaboration with Murda Beatz on Bless Yo Trap Smokepurpp is prepping to release his proper debut album and dropped two singles along with this EP to help tide fans over until the full album drops.

Review By Lavender:
Smokepurpp has spent the last two years coming close to sounding special. I've really enjoyed some of his singles and he's gotten really creative on some deep cuts that helped separate him from the field. The problem is that every project Purpp has dropped so far has drowned these great creative tracks with painfully generic and indistinguishable trap tunes. Quite literally like clockwork Lost Planet follows this formula, with two singles one of which I loved and the other I hated and a set of tracks split right down the middle in terms of quality, this won't be the Smokepurpp project that that changes anyone's mind on him.  

Let's start with the rougher moments that land in this EP's 20 minutes. Remember Me was the lead single to this thing and the choice is frankly inexplicable. The song is a painfully uninspired Juice WRLD rip off that features a generic emo trap beat and sub par singing from Purpp. If this wasn't the current trend of hip hop there is no way this track would land here but the cheap clout chasing falls well short regardless. Baguettes is another moment that feels like Purpp googled "trap beat" and downloaded the first result. His hook is actually decent but Gunna delivers a mediocre verse that drags the song down and when Purpp comes back for the final passage he takes it all the way down to rock bottom.

Chandelier, which unfortunately isn't a Sia cover,  shows how little creativity Smokepurpp and Lil Pump have together even after such a short series of collaborations. Neither artist brings anything interesting to the song and with an underwhelming forgettable beat underneath I can't really fathom why this song was included. Finally Throw Away is a fittingly titled song that couldn't suck harder. It's an ugly auto-crooner ballad that I guarantee almost nobody could pick out of a lineup of Purpp's contemporaries and he doesn't seem to care.

As I said earlier there is a day and night difference in quality between the songs on this album and the second single is a great example. Repeat is an absolute BANGER and one of the best trap songs I've heard all year. The beat is wild, energetic and exciting and Purpp matches its energy with a zany performance and wild lyrics, this is pretty much exactly what I want out of a Purpp song. Double is another solid banger and once he mixes bars with NLE Choppa in the second half of the song it really hits it off. 3-8 Hot is a generic but pretty sharp beat that finds Purpp impersonating 21 Savage over it but honestly doing a pretty good job. When he pumps up the energy on the hook the song turns into a heart pumping highlight. Finally Weapon is a pretty decent song as well with some of my favorite lyrics on the project, it takes some time to start up but works its way into an enjoyable tune.

Once again on this project Purpp proves that he is talented and has the capabilities to make great contemporary trap bangers and stand out from his contemporaries. But also he proves unable to execute this with any consistency and ends up rounding out projects with sub-par filler tracks that make it hard to believe he will drop a culture changing project anytime soon. 4.5/10

Best Track: Repeat

For more trap check out my review of Juice WRLD's Death Race For Love here.

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