Lil Baby finds himself at an interesting point in his career. On one hand, he’s six years removed from his star-making My Turn era, and hasn’t had the same kind of hit records or released a critically acclaimed album since. Conversely, he has also amassed 160 Billboard Hot 100 entries (including 13 top 10s) throughout his career, as well as four consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, showing that his core audience and beyond have remained invested in what he puts out.
In the music game, though, narratives are often just as impactful as numbers. So while one person may feel he is still highly successful, another may rightfully say he has lost steam since the massive “We Paid” with 42 Dugg, and his politically-charged anthem “The Bigger Picture.”
As for Baby himself — per his recent comments on Popcast — he doesn’t even view what could be perceived as a “cold streak” as a slump. This year’s “Dead Fresh”, a top 20 song on the Billboard Hot 100, showed some people that even if he can’t catch lightning in a bottle again, he still has a little electricity in his arsenal. The true intrigue, for many, is: How can he evolve his style? What new stories does he have to tell? Was 2020-2022 just a run, or is he as good as he established himself then to be?
His new album FRESH isn’t a major shift in his sound, and doesn’t reveal much new about him. But it is a reminder that he can rap well, and is among the best of this era within his tier of artists. There are some fun, inspired production choices, but, for the most part, Lil Baby remains who we have always known him to be. Check out our ranked list of the 17 tracks on FRESH below.
