If Looks Could Kill (Directors Cut)

If Looks Could Kill (Directors Cut)

If Destroy Lonely’s music has happened to elude you, this is officially your opportunity to catch up. Figuratively part of a lineage marked by Future and Young Thug, as well as literally the progeny of Disturbing tha Peace rapper I-20, the Atlanta artist grew a profile alongside his Opium labelmate Ken Carson on memorable duo joints “MDMA” and “Murda Muzik.” Bolstered by Playboi Carti’s co-sign, his 2022 all-caps NO STYLIST mixtape benefited from the blending of his digitally processed rap-singing with some forward-thinking beats by Clayco, Cxdy, ProllyIan, and trap veteran TM88, among others. The lowercase song title scheme behind his proper full-length debut notwithstanding, If Looks Could Kill feels like a more formal extension of its predecessor. Most of the prior tape’s beatmakers return alongside a handful of like-minded others, to deliver stark atmospheres, grimy rock accents, and overdriven bass for tracks like “chris paul” and “how u feel?”, strategically designed for emotional mosh-pit readiness. He regularly employs deliberately repetitive, almost mantra-like hooks, as on “raver,” as well as melodic vocal riffs that prove similarly hypnotic, like on “by the pound” and “fly sht.” Carson returns for the bonus track “money & sex,” a disorienting finale that ultimately amplifies their confluent styles.

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