Ken Car$on largely fails to distinguish himself in any noteworthy way from Playboi Carti on Teen X and Teen X : Relapsed.
Teen X starts off on the right foot with the dreamlike title track “Teen X,” where the theme of Car$on’s love for narcotics is even further hammered in. However, aside from a vocal filter placed on Car$on’s vocals, it becomes apparent from the get-go that the project will be plentiful with Carti “inspired” tracks, or rather impressions. The following “Yale” is hype, but greatly lacks development as it always seems to end just as I’m getting into it. “Meds” follows this, biting the main flow and bass-like instrument from “Yale.” Though I hadn’t set the bar high in the first place given the glaring similarities between him and Playboi, it caught me off guard hearing him steal music from himself. Aside from this, the track is unbearably boring and contains nothing of interest, as is the case for “Why.” We finally receive a glimmer of hope on “For Her,” which isn’t a bad song in its own right; the production is vibe-worthy and the flow is addictive. The closer “Pissed Off” brings a disappointing end to the record, with every element of the track being forgettable on first listen and remaining that way. It comes as no surprise, however, given many of the previous tracks. Much improvement is seen on 2021’s Teen X : Relapsed. The energy-packed “Teen X Babe” brings a sense of weight to a song that Ken Car$on hasn’t managed to muster up until this point, even with the mildly-toned vocal delivery failing to match the vigorous production. Although “Teenage Rager” doesn’t blow my mind, it doesn’t seem right calling it a bad track. It’s sort of just… there - I’d never skip it, but I’d also never think to put it on aside from when it plays in sequence with the rest of the EP. The fun melodies on “Butterfly,” similar to the opener of the project, brings something new to the table for Ken Car$on. The typical lyrics do nothing to impress me, but the cadence of the chorus matches the bouncy rhythm of the song. “High as Sh!t” is likely my favorite Ken Car$on, where the stars align for one moment to make a great all-around track. From production to vocals, from beginning (that simultaneous punch from the bass and vocals!) to end, this cut remains entertaining throughout. These stars soon fall out of place with “On the Low” however, where the track listing returns to the routinely underdeveloped Ken Car$on song. The identity of Ken Car$on largely revolves around drug use, with the themes of the album, title, and cover all portraying dependence upon MDMA. Although I normally give a chance to trap artists regardless of whether or not drug use is rapped about, it seems particularly destructive both to Ken and to fans who either are already engaged in drug abuse or are on the road headed that way. Strictly pertaining to the music, Ken Car$on does not offer much that we haven’t already seen from other artists (the foremost of which I’ve already mentioned a few times here). Tracks to check out from these two projects are “High as Sh!t,” “Teen X Babe,” and “For Her.”
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AuthorEnrique Cardenas III Archives
November 2021
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