Stop Going Into the Pusha T Store and Asking for Sh*t That's Not on the Menu
A quarter pounder with cheese tastes the same now as it did 10 years ago. It's great. Whenever I want one, I go Mickey D's and it hits just like I need it to.
I'm reading way too many "Pusha T is still rapping about coke" comments regarding his new album It's Almost Dry for my liking. First of all: Yes the fuck he is. Two: If you don't like it, get the fuck out of the dope house.
The critic's fascination with "growth" is problematic to me, because sometimes the desires of the receiving audience are in contrast to what the artist's goals are.
One of the reasons I don't write traditional reviews anymore is because I realized something years ago: If a creative in any form has an intention, then executes on said intention to a level they are pleased with in the end, THEY WON! What do you look like going to McDonald's and complaining about how they haven't grown beyond Big Macs? A doofus, that's what you look like.
Anyone who looks at a Pusha T album through the limited lens of Coke Rap is missing the bigger picture. If anything, he uses his past in that life and references to drug culture as a vehicle to introduce nuanced, thoughtful ideas. A real Pusha T fan will you that his work is a battery that powers the hustler's spirit ("hustler," like someone who works hard toward anything--Not just drugs, dummy). There are codes of conduct, general rules and guidelines to follow.
The opening song on Dry, "Brambleton," is really about loyalty. In "Dreamin' of the Past," there's the spirit of someone aware of his immense worth despite not getting rewarded in ways too many still put emphasis on. "Award shows the place you people could rob meeeee!" he says. Sure, there's plenty of fly drug dealer talk, too. And I love it. Why, after more than a decade of it, do I still run to Pusha's?
Like I always say, as an artist either you're doing something that's never been done before or you're presenting something I've seen before in a new way. Just when I think I've heard all the ways to say "I sell drugs the best," he says some other shit like, "My weight keepin' niggas on the bikes like Amblin." and I have to bow. Again.
Pusha T's an elite rhymer--bar none!--who has consistently served A-1 songs and albums to his audience as both a solo act and group member (Clipse have at least two classic albums, my friends).
Pass the champion his champagne and let him live. It's Almost Dry is another collection of hot rocks for your dome. Enjoy the tunes or get lost.