Brent Faiyaz does things completely his own way in “WASTELAND.”
Honorable mention. ROLLING STONE
Brent Faiyaz should definitely sing “ROLLING STONE” at his AAA meetings.
In “ROLLING STONE”, Brent Faiyaz admits to being a misguided and arrogant asshole. What’s fascinating is that he switches between someone who looks like he wants a change and someone who wants a few more sips of asshole juice.
5. DEPENDENCIES
I’m selfish, I want Brent Faiyaz to keep indulging in the demonic things that allow him to make the kind of explosive music he makes today.
“ADDICTIONS” is one of the few tracks on this album that sounds really normal. In the song, Brent Faiyaz and Tre ‘Amani sing and rap about being individuals who can’t seem to shake off their sinister ways. From the Kanye-esque production to the hella DC-flavored verse of Tre, this song felt so relevant to me (and I’m only addicted to the search section of IG).
4. WASTING TIME
I decided to add “WASTING TIME” to my top 5 to pay tribute to the greatest musical minds of all time: The Neptunes. I also wanted to pay homage to the non-spicy/non-coked version of Drake we get in the song.
I don’t like “WASTING TIME”. If you ask me, the song sounds like a generic Pharrell track from the era. That being said, I think Brent Faiyaz delivers a great vocal performance and some nifty lyrics that will remind regular dudes like me that we don’t stand a chance against singers when it comes to booking the best girls in the world. As for Drake, he sets up a verse that perfectly mixes aggression with eccentricity, competitiveness and insight. Drake saved the song for me.
3. GHETTO GATSBY
The NInjas stood on tiptoe while creating this song.
If you read Gatsby the magnificent, you know Jay Gatsby was this magnetic anti-hero who had an extremely selfish side. Brent Faiyaz gives me those same vibes as an artist, which is why “GHETTO GATSBY” perfectly describes who he is (or wants us to think he is). In the song, Brent comes across as cold, narcissistic, and boastful. What’s interesting is that Alicia Keys appears similarly in the song. Her rap verse (Yes, she raps in the song) is colder than a burger delivered via uber eats.
2. AWARDS OF FAME
The other day, I intentionally drowned in “PRICE OF FAME”. Once I did that, my love for the song increased tremendously.
Once you get past the screwed and chopped part of “PRICE OF FAME,” you enter R&B heaven! (I think the screwed and chopped part does a great job of getting you into that nice sloppy drunken mood). In Heaven, Brent brings out his absolutely gorgeous voice (sorry, guys, I couldn’t think of another word to use) and the carefree lyrics that practically built his foundation. Although “PRICE OF FAME” looks like a long Netflix teaser, it does its job of separating Brent from the rest.
1. DEAD MAN WALKING
Is “DEAD MAN WALKING” the most slippery track of all time? I think so.
Whether you’re a Brent Faiyaz fan or not, you have to appreciate the message behind “DEAD MAN WALKING.” In the song, Brent Faiyaz encourages us to comfortably live life on the edge. Despite being backed by a very unorthodox production, the DMV native comes across as evenly streamlined, carefree and subdued. More than likely, when you’re comfortable in your own skin, that’s what you’ll look like.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. VILLIAN’S THEME (N/A)
2. BULK CHANGE (4/5)
3. GRAVITY (4/5)
4. HEALING YOUR HEART (INTERLUDE) (N/A)
5. SKIT: EGOMANIAC (N/A)
6. ALL MINE (3.5/5)
7. AWARD OF FAME (5/5)
8. GHETTO GATSBY (5/5)
9. WASTE OF TIME (4/5)
10. ROLLING STONE (4/5)
11. FYTB (4/5)
12. SKIT: OBLIVION (N/A)
13. DEAD MAN WALKING (5/5)
14. DEPENDENCY (5/5)
15. ROLE MODEL (4/5)
16. JACKIE BROWN (4/5)
17. BAD LUCK (4/5)
18. SKIT: WAKE UP CALL (N/A)
19. ANGEL (4/5)
(B)
If you want to fully understand the music of Brent Faiyaz, you have to take hard drugs. That being said, before hitting play on this album, I made sure to sniff out some magic markers.
We can all agree that Future is one of the most toxic individuals on planet Earth, right? I mean, anyone can tell Steve Harvey, the host of Family Feud for God’s sake, that he doesn’t want his daughter many times in a song is bad. Someone who could be as toxic as Future is Brent Faiyaz. I get it, Brent has an absolutely gorgeous voice, but so do the beautiful women of FOX News. Anyone, all the way through WASTELAND, our anti-hero comes across as a selfish asswipe who doesn’t value love, money, or new episodes of American Greed as much as the rest of us. In other words, it literally feels carefree from the moment you hit play on the album until it’s done. Here’s the thing, though: I love this s**t! When you combine Brent’s devilish lyrical content with his wonderful voice and slick production, you end up with work that plays with your emotions in a way that only the first girl who broke your heart can. Would I like the album to have a bit more stability? Yes. But at the same time, instability could be Brent’s superpower.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on the beaches and spaghetti that repel him.
