Ed Sheeran is an international pop star, a hit songwriter, a sometime actor, and about as authentically British as tea & scones. And while these descriptors work just fine if he’d simply stuck to what he knows best, they don’t work as well in his attempt to cross over to Hip Hop. And that, in a nutshell, is why No. 6 Collaborations fails as a Hip Hop album.
Now, if one chooses to accept this as a pop album — which, at its core, is exactly what No. 6 Collaborations is — then it works just fine. Ed Sheeran, as a performer, is “safe.” He is, in fact, the ultimate “safe” pop act — there’s no worry of him blatantly ripping off black culture while feigning ignorance as, say, someone like Ariana Grande is often accused of doing. And his natural songwriting abilities (his hit song, “Perfect,” is a prime example) attract musicians of all stripes to him. He’s just as at ease with a hardcore trap-rapper as he is with Andrea Bocelli, and not many people can say that.
But in these times of socio-political trouble, an album like No. 6 Collaborations leaves a horrible taste in one’s mouth. It’s as though Sheeran is foppishly, and deliberately, oblivious to how engaging in a musical Manifest Destiny isn’t going to sit well with ‘heads. Maybe he didn’t mean it in that way — see the aforementioned “safe” descriptor — but it’s just as it comes across.
One of the few tracks that actually works on the album is his duet with R&B singer Khalid, “Beautiful People,” in which the duo wax emo about the pitfalls of celebrity and the glamorous life. “Beautiful people/Drop top, designer clothes/Front row at fashion shows/”What d’you do?” And, “Who d’you know?”/Inside the world of beautiful people/Champagne and rolled-up notes/Prenups and broken homes,” they say sincerely, and though they recycle old tropes, they stick to what they know best, which is just fine.
The problem is, of course, what comes next: Cardi B, in all her Bodak Yellow glory, spitting like a cobra on such lyrics as “you want the lips and the curves, need the whips and the furs/ And the diamonds I prefer, and my closet his and hers,” on “South of the Border.” Not that Cardi does a bad job — to the contrary — but it’s that her bold proclamations don’t match up with Sheeran’s previous “woe is me” musings. And when Slim Shady and 50 Cent pack a one-two punch on “Remember The Name,” Sheeran’s presence (especially when he confirms that he’s married — like, was this a legitimate question that people had, sir?) is superfluous. Back in the early 2000s, an Eminem-50 Cent collaboration was a lyrical masterpiece — and it neither needed, nor wanted, Ed Sheeran’s presence.
Put simply, No. 6 Collaborations would go over better if Sheeran positioned this as a “pop” album rather than as a wannabe Hip Hop album. While there are plenty of people who are able to seamlessly blend their preferred musical genre with Hip Hop (Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker, Billy Ray Cyrus), Ed Sheeran isn’t one of them. And because he spent the whole album trying too hard, it falls flat, overall.
This is an experiment that could have worked — but, ultimately, didn’t.
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This album is great. And Sheeran raps better than most people he got for the album.
I’ve HEARD FAAaarr worse pop-hop collabos man…I hate you had to look this deep into it…maybe because it’s the number one album right now? The joints with Chance and Travis….you forgot to review those…yeah mane you were reaching. If you expect a hip-hop masterpiece from a Brit pop star who simply wanted to do a COLLABORATION album…rap, rock, etc. Then you got YOUR hopes in the wrong direction, because this joint slappin like E Honda Cuhh
Yall reviewing pop albums now?
Firstly I do think this album is a bit “err”, Ed Sheeran is definitely a better singer than rapper and I’d rather that he stuck to what he’s best at. Having said that… I do take issue with the reviewer basically saying that his rhymes are an issue just because it’s him saying them. Let’s have one standard rather than this false game of credibility. Fact is that I’d still rather listen to Ed’s cringy raps than any of the ear bleedingly bad mumble shit that you lot seem to prop up.
It’s not a hip hop album and you should review it as it is, an album from a British pop artist.
SMH at this review, one of the best Chance verses in awhile plus the Travis song is dope. Also Feels is dope, Ed has a great ear for hip hop beats. Did you only listed to the more poppy songs? Why not post the hip hop tracks? So called chart topping rappers dropping horrible generic albums out there and you choose to rip on this album? If Ed could executive produce hip hop albums 90% of rappers would benefit, pretty sadly reflects the state of hip hop were in.
Great album and I enjoy listening to his rap… Glad he’s back creating interesting music; Ed never disappoints.
ASS
When Ed broke through in the UK he came along side the grime/UK rap scene. He has done numerous tracks with UK rappers in the past. A poor review to be honest. You haven’t mentioned the track with Stormzy which is by far the hardest on the album. But it isn’t a hip hop album? So why review it just to slate it?
Ed sheeran joining gunit?
Yall wouldn’t recognize a hip-hop album if it slapped you in the face………a lot of the rappers you review also don’t make hip-hop albums, they make trash, that has nothing to do with hiphop. Supportings artists like Migos, Future, etc, etc, etc.
This is a very rubbish review. WTF?