I did a review for Cloud's mixtape Offline way back in May. Of course I'd jump at the chance to hear the follow up Reboot when it dropped. Reboot came gift wrapped with a free download on Christmas. So lets dive in.
The first thing I notice is an improvement in sound quality. Offline's quality was all over the place when it came to the quality of the vocals. Reboot doesn't suffer that setback, everything is crisp and clear which makes a difference in overall quality. Reboot won't have you replaying tracks simply to hear what Cloud said. As far as sound quality on instrumentals they remain as good as ever.
Cloud shows a lot of growth between Offline and Reboot. Offline was his second project but Reboot is his third mixtape this year. That's three full projects not to mention several EPs he's released as well. While most artist would be burnt out trying to release that much music in a year it seems Cloud is out to flood the market, you're going to hear him weather you want to or not.
Reboot is probably Cloud's best piece of work thus far. While 199X and Offline are good pieces Reboot just stands out more. Often times if an artist puts out as much content as Cloud you get burnt out on them and don't want to hear them anymore. That's not a problem with Cloud. He may not like me saying it but it's clear that he's still searching for himself as an artist and that's evident in Reboot.
Reboot is a better than Yeezus. I say that because Yeezus was a concept album and I see Reboot as a concept mixtape. Cloud tries a ton of different styles on this album. He manages to try at least six different flows, countless subjects, up tempo as well as slow tempo. That's why I see Cloud as an artist searching for himself. By their third project most artist have found what works them and settled into that groove and then they stay there for ever unless they're attempting to make a hot single or do a feature. See J. Cole and Drake. But not Cloud, that's the charm that keeps his music fresh. It simply leaves you wondering "What is this guy going to try next."
The difference between Yeezus and Reboot is Kanye simply threw a bunch of tracks that could have been throwaways from any of his past albums. For example "Hold My Liquor" sounds like a throwaway track from 808's that he added Chief Keef to. Then he added "New Slaves" and "Bound 2" as singles to move units. That album wasn't well received because of that. On the other hand with Reboot you can easily tell that these are all new tracks recorded for Reboot. It also doesn't waste time trying to have a track for everyone in the world. It's simply a man doing what he loves.
As far as individual tracks go, my favorite is "Beautiful Wife," by far. I don't know who SPZKRT is. But, I do know he came into this tracking singing like Cloud had a gun to his head and told him he only had one take. Then Cloud comes in and with some smooth lyrics and great flow. All of this is done over a simple yet elegant instrumental. It also serves to transition into the slower half of the mixtape. Which, I admit I like more.
The first thing I notice is an improvement in sound quality. Offline's quality was all over the place when it came to the quality of the vocals. Reboot doesn't suffer that setback, everything is crisp and clear which makes a difference in overall quality. Reboot won't have you replaying tracks simply to hear what Cloud said. As far as sound quality on instrumentals they remain as good as ever.
Cloud shows a lot of growth between Offline and Reboot. Offline was his second project but Reboot is his third mixtape this year. That's three full projects not to mention several EPs he's released as well. While most artist would be burnt out trying to release that much music in a year it seems Cloud is out to flood the market, you're going to hear him weather you want to or not.
The difference between Yeezus and Reboot is Kanye simply threw a bunch of tracks that could have been throwaways from any of his past albums. For example "Hold My Liquor" sounds like a throwaway track from 808's that he added Chief Keef to. Then he added "New Slaves" and "Bound 2" as singles to move units. That album wasn't well received because of that. On the other hand with Reboot you can easily tell that these are all new tracks recorded for Reboot. It also doesn't waste time trying to have a track for everyone in the world. It's simply a man doing what he loves.
My least favorite track on the album is Segiko/The Friendzone. It's the standard track where you get as many artist as possible and gangbang the instrumental. Just like in real life someone is going to come up on the losing end of a gangbang. These are porn jokes... Basically this track suffers from too much going on at once. Four artist on the track as well as multiple beat flips, and everyone had pretty long verses. It's also the longest track on the album just four seconds shy of eight minutes.
The main flaw with this mixtape is one that a lot of artist, not just rappers, are suffering from now. Too many features. A feature with someone to come in and sing the hook is no big deal. But most of the tracks have another rapper on them. Sometimes that can lead to an artist getting lost on his on project. Luckily that didn't happen here. While features are good to have too many of them can ruin a project. It's a tricky line to walk.
The Score
While Cloud shows a lot of growth with each project it still seems as though he's searching for himself. In one verse he says "I think I'm Kai Hall, but I'm really no one." That was a lie. You're Cloud. Doing a Kai Hall impression won't get you anywhere. But once Cloud clearly defines himself as an artist the sky is the limit. Either way Reboot is still worth a listen.
The main flaw with this mixtape is one that a lot of artist, not just rappers, are suffering from now. Too many features. A feature with someone to come in and sing the hook is no big deal. But most of the tracks have another rapper on them. Sometimes that can lead to an artist getting lost on his on project. Luckily that didn't happen here. While features are good to have too many of them can ruin a project. It's a tricky line to walk.
The Score
- Lyricism 6.0
- Flow 7.4
- Production 6.0
- Features 8.0
While Cloud shows a lot of growth with each project it still seems as though he's searching for himself. In one verse he says "I think I'm Kai Hall, but I'm really no one." That was a lie. You're Cloud. Doing a Kai Hall impression won't get you anywhere. But once Cloud clearly defines himself as an artist the sky is the limit. Either way Reboot is still worth a listen.
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