With this seemingly endless new trend of collaboration projects (I blame Ye and Hov), it came as no surprise to me when I heard that Big Sean & Metro Boomin were preparing to join the fray with a project of their own. My only question was, who was really asking for this in the first place? I mean “Bounce Back” was a cool song, I guess, but nothing that made me say “I want to hear more of this.”
“Niggas ask me who I’m going with
I told them my heart, the best beat thus far (the best)
My dog Earlly telling jokes, man I’m laughing at that
I had a dream I rode with Rosa Parks in the back of the ‘Bach (damn)
And we was blowing a blunt and she was packing a strap
Like damn, it do feel good to be black in the back”
Unfortunately, that was a feeling I was right to have. I’ll just come right out and say it, the collection of beats on Double Or Nothing sounds like some of the most generic and uninspired production Metro Boomin has put out in recent memory. Not god awful, just boring. Outside of maybe “Who’s Stopping Me”, none of the production jumped out at me as being from arguably the top producer in rap right now. This same feeling can be extended to Big Sean’s subpar rhymes. I’ll always argue for Sean being one of the most underrated ‘new’ rappers out there, and outside of J. Cole and Kendrick I’d say he’s up there with anyone else. But this is definitely not his best foot forward and he even falls back into his old corny ways (that I thought he shook) with the cringey “So Good.” Big name collaborations are supposed to elevate each other’s craft and this falls well short of doing that. Just another project that’ll get lost in the current. I thinks it’s time we start rethinking this whole ‘collaboration’ thing and only reserve it for truly special moments (Kendrick, J. Cole I’m looking at y’all).
Have you heard Double Or Nothing? What’d you think about it? Do you think it Big Sean & Metro Boomin was a good match? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions to the album.
