Released May 31, 2019
7 / 10
Favorites
CAROLMART FEAT. ICE BILLION BERG, SHAKE 88 FEAT. SAM SNEAK, P.A.T. FEAT. PLAYTHATBOIZAY
Least favorites
BIRDZ FEAT. RICK ROSS, AUTOMATIC
The dark, funny and flippant "ZUU" is a showcase of charisma and skill along dynamic and hard instrumentals that are not stopping for anyone on the side of the road. The 29-minute record reads like a ride on a motorway, hardly ever taking a breath. In it, Denzel pays reverence to the Miami area rap scene while inscribing his name in South Florida's most influential artists rolodex. He does so by free-styling in almost all tracks, amounting to a list of Summer bangers - and a couple duds. Perhaps inevitably, there are many lines that fall short of the excellence displayed elsewhere but Denzel doesn't linger on those, moving on so fast and blending them in with exciting compositions so that the listener is rarely caught off-guard and turned off by something he says beyond repair. There are also rare moments on "ZUU" where Denzel manipulates his voice - passing it through varying degrees of vocal effects or tapping into different registers - that provide glimpses of even more exciting places he can take his craft. "ZUU" embodies first and foremost how hard Denzel goes for where he comes from. It's not a coincidence that every other artist featured on the record comes from the Miami area. The title track in particular is a straightforward homage to Carol City, Miami. The roaring bass line comes in at the right moment, alongside brisk trap hi-hats and a flute that meshes in great with the rest of the musical fabric. The spit is hard, an early indication that Denzel is not playing on "ZUU". BIRDZ brings in Miami legend Rick Ross, to rally around a stark warning: "Don't start none, won't be none", rendered even more intimidating by the horror-inspired arrangement. I was surprised by Rick Ross' performance. He sounds like he's too far from the mic and doesn't bother trying to match Denzel's energy level. He almost gets swallowed whole by the beat to be honest. From the track's opening, you know how abrasive the sound will get - with production toying with the idea of sonic saturation. It really is a power struggle between Denzel and the music throughout but Rick Ross throws down his arms within seconds of his part - whatever the reason for this, BIRDZ ends up sounding like missed opportunity. CAROLMART is another ultimate celebration of Miami's rap legacy. Denzel explicitly names inspirations - including Mr. Ross - and implicitly states his ambitions to hear his name be uttered alongside theirs. The track bumps and grinds to a mean beat, allowing itself some space to move around in. Denzel is laser-focused, maintaining a stellar delivery and choice of tone throughout. One thing done especially well on the album is the melding of disparate templates, the adjoining of a variety sounds into consistent wholes. Samples are integrated flawlessly in "ZUU" as integral parts of the tracks instead of sounding like mere enhancements. WISH's effectiveness has to do with how well the sample from The B.B. & Q. Band plays with the rest. Denzel's lyricism is vicious as can be, matching his headlong delivery. The chorus feels like it's building to the verses and not the other way around. Furthermore, they achieve to create a R'n'B-hiphop hybrid with chiming instrumentals atop a ferocious beat. SHAKE 88 is the album's only track whose lyrics were written before being recorded. This strip club anthem attempts to empower the women at the heart of the lyrics, through a cheeky pre-chorus performed by Denzel - whose voice undergoes a severe transformation: "Here's a little something 'bout a bitch like me / Rule number one, don't touch my weave / If I ain't pass, don't puff my weed / N*ggas with money is all I need". Denzel sneaks in a reference to Ice Cube's iconic verse in "Gangsta Gangsta" that fans can appreciate. SHAKE 88 is also audibly inspired by Juvenile, turning the energy knob to a 100 from the jump and reluctant to let it go. It IS a crude track that will probably turn a few people off. "ZUU" is not only about fun and games though. Denzel recognizes violence and cyclical evils, drawing lines separating what he stands for and what he rejects. RICKY, the record's first single, pays tribute to his father, recalling prescriptions given by people close to him. The chorus rings like a mantra he repeats more for himself than for the listener's benefit. The first seconds of the track are exceptional - and in retrospect it sounds like Charli XCX was inspired by the track's opening to make her own "forever" almost a year later. RICKY quickly goes into high gear, audibly bogged down by a pre-chorus in which Denzel's voice comes through deformed and heavy-laden before coming into its own on the chorus. Delivery is clear and as aggressive as it needs to be to keep up with the beat. Despite its short span, the track does get a bit repetitive nonetheless. Second single SPEEDBOAT talks wealth and the high risk/high reward world Denzel comes from. He suggest that his amassed wealth might mean a lot in a world where money is needed to be taken seriously but also that it doesn't mean much in the end if you can't prevent your love ones from dying like flies around you. It's one of the rare moments on "ZUU" where he explicitly talks community elevation, in the form of a prayer ("Jesus, please deliver us from evil / Please pray over all my people"). This track stands out as sounding pretty tame compared to the rest of the tracklist. A favorite moment of mine is the pre-chorus prayer with its business and the choice of paced delivery. The record ends on a tribute to Denzel's previous work as part of the Raider Klan collective. P.A.T. raises the intensity to riot level. He plays so much with his vocals, tapping into the deepest of registers to deliver a stellar grainy unhinged chorus. As a result of all the vocal deformations undergone throughout the course of P.A.T., the track feels much more crowded than it actually is (it feels like at least 4 rappers are exchanging bars, not 2). I particularly enjoy the low-quality electronic loop running along the verses, complete with those noises computers used to make when something was going seriously wrong (those moments where your heart skipped a beat as your machine suffered from overheat - remember that?). Playthatboizay does his best to alter his voice in a similar fashion but sounds slightly less convincing than his peer. But when his turn comes, I'm so hypnotized by the arrangement that he could very well whistle instead. The ending of the track also deserves a shout out, augmented with various clanging sounds, crowd noises and ominous whispers. Smart of Denzel to end the album with such a gut punch of a track. It leaves me wanting more; the ultimate strategy to get people excited by your next project.
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