21 Savage dropped his hotly anticipated debut album Issa on Friday (July 7), and the social media reaction has been all over the place.
The 14-track album features a lot of what we’ve come to expect from 21 since his Savage Mode breakout, including some fire production from Metro Boomin … but not all fans are happy with the project.
One name that keeps coming up across the 140-character reviews is that of 21 Savage’s current romantic interest Amber Rose, with plenty of allegations that her influence had changed 21’s music (and not for the better).
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The criticism mainly revolves around the DJ Mustard-produced track “FaceTime,” which is about a million miles away from the kind of gritty street raps for which 21 is known.
Check out the lyrics to the chorus and try to imagine the “No Heart” rapper singing: “I’m too drunk to text so can we FaceTime? (FaceTime)/ I won’t waste your time if you don’t waste mine (don’t waste mine)/ Girl I wanna taste yours if you gon’ taste mine (taste mine)/ I won’t take your love for granted if you don’t take mine (take mine).”
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It’s this song that seems to have prompted the onslaught of comments claiming that 21 has “gone soft.”
amber rose took this nigga @21savage powers issa album trash
— finesse kid (@iamwizz__) July 7, 2017
Amber Rose got 21 feeling some type of way on this Issa album
— Matty (@_TheRealMayer_) July 7, 2017
People blaming Amber Rose for Issa being trash like Savage Mode wasn't booty too.
— Black Marlins Man ? (@ampaveli) July 7, 2017
Not fuckin with Issa…Amber Rose got this nigga gettin soft out here
— $harko (@MarcoDaSharko) July 7, 2017
AMBER ROSE GOT 21 SAV SINGING WTF #Issa
— onee-chan? (@itsab00tytwap) July 7, 2017
lol it must be the Amber Rose Effect coz Issa Album is straight garbage
— Alzatino. (@jimii_o) July 7, 2017
Despite these criticisms, 21 spends much of the rest of the album rapping about his typical lyrical themes, so it’s not exactly as if he’s changed his whole image for his studio debut. If anything, tracks like “FaceTime” show him attempting versatility, something any rapper needs if they want long-term success.
