December seems to be a month that gets a lot of album releases, especially in hip-hop. It can be easy for an album to go unnoticed. 21 Savage does not have that problem. He released his newest album, I am>I was on Christmas Eve. The single, a lot, created plenty of hype for the album and earned a spot on the Billboard Hot 100. This should be the album that solidifies 21 Savage as a rap icon.

He definitely does not stray away from the unique flow he has used for the past few years, but this album sounds better than his previous ones. From the beats, to the features, to the mixing, the album is pleasant to listen to. This makes 21 Savage’s somewhat harsh lyrics easier to listen to. As he speaks about stories from his violent past and the pain he has endured, the messages are easier to receive because most songs flow perfectly. The lyrics are some of his best with many anecdotes as opposed to a lot of his previous work which was mostly repetitive.

I am>I was includes great features with Childish Gambino, Post Malone and Schoolboy Q being my favorites. Well-known rapper J. Cole was a surprising edition to the project.

The album still has its shortcomings. 21 Savage does not change up his flow that often, making the songs dependent on features to create uniqueness. The features are almost always better than 21 Savage’s part, which is disappointing. The album’s artist should be the reason the song is good, not the features.

I still really enjoyed the album, with a lot, monster and all my friends being the high points for me.

21 Savage was able to release a quality album that stood out during the release-heavy month of December. 8.5/10.