NBA rookie star Lonzo Ball is reaping the benefits of fame and fortune as a 20-year-old millionaire in Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world. He’s the cornerstone of his family’s Big Baller Brand, and Lakers team president Magic Johnson publicly appointed him as the future face of the franchise. After trolling Nas with his infamous hot take on the nature of “real Hip Hop,” it’s a natural progression for Ball to release his Born 2 Ball mixtape on his own Big Baller Music Group label.
The majority of the 17 tracks sound like pale derivatives of the Atlanta trap sound architected by Zaytoven’s production techniques (i.e. MPC-sampled synths, pared-down drum patterns, quick hi-hat shuffles, hand-claps and extended 808 bass thumps). Lonzo is a neophyte rapper with a laconic delivery, searching for how to engage emotion with his vocal tone over the beats. He emulates his Migos idols, just as he did lip syncing “Bad and Boujee” on TV, throughout most of the project’s 53 minutes.
The only listed collaborators on the tracks are newcomer DC The Don (who was Ball’s former Chino Hills High School basketball teammate) and rapper/singer Kenneth Paige, who assist with occasional raps and Auto-Tuned vocals for the choruses and hooks.
On the opening track “Grind Mode” featuring DC The Don, Lonzo jumps out with an intensified, staccato cadence to impress both fans and naysayers. DC The Don matches Lonzo’s flow with his own high-register delivery over a beat that mimics the minimalist production style of Drake’s resident engineer/producer Noah “40” Shebib.
Predictably, Lonzo consistently muses about his newfound reality as a hot ticket in the City of Angels to the point that his braggadociousness becomes boring. He repeatedly touches on his celebrity lifestyle filled with expensive cars, money, and fighting to keep thirsty women at bay. He briefly proselytizes his Christian faith, but keeps the product placement heavy with advertisements for his $495 signature sneakers and by hyping Big Baller Brand on “ZO2” and “BBB.”
On “LAML (Look At My Life),” Lonzo frames his father’s failed multi-billion dollar Nike sneaker deal pitch as the company’s loss, not their own. (“Man, Nike couldn’t pay us/ Yeah, they really tried to play us/ New crib hella spacious/ Inside elevators”).
The beats sonically blend into each other without much depth or range of content, and the choruses are as dry as vulture-picked bones in the desert heat. But the middle of the mixtape has songs such as “Super Saiyan,” “Bring It Home,” and “Freestyle” that have enough buoyancy for a nighttime Cali joy ride.
On the final song, Lonzo shows his unremitting love for his father and plays interview clips of him on draft night in June 2017 with his congratulatory ode simply titled “LaVar.” The lyrics show a more introspective side of Lonzo, and characterize a more personal relationship with his bombastic father. “People lookin’ crazy, askin’ is it hard?/ I just laugh ’cause I know they talkin’ ’bout LaVar/ Y’all can hate him, that’s my pops though/ First one that’s there for me once it got cold,” he raps.
This rap album is Lonzo’s platform to declare that he wants to be taken seriously, and the photoshopped image of himself replacing Nas’ face on the iconic illmatic album cover could be seen as aspirational. But, as much as he claims the Queens legend’s music is antiquated, Lonzo’s debut album proves to be an ill-fated outing without any significant meaning, depth or contribution to Hip Hop.
This pasty pilgrim wack ass mediocre clown Lonzo is garbage just like his game and lame just like his lame ignorant stupid daddy
HONESTLY, THE SMELLY POOPIE THAT COMES OUT OF NAS BUNGHOLE IS BETTER THEN THIS SHEEEEIT
I read several comments on YouTube calling the album the best rap album by any pro athlete. So, I checked it out. It’s not the worst album I’ve ever heard, but it does suck. I agree with this review.
Keep doing your thing ZO
Was anyone really waiting on a review of this?! Was anyone surprised it sucks? Face of the franchise?! Give me strength.
Audio Diarrhea… this is clearly just a marketing product. Guess this is what passes as hip hop nowadays…smh
Stick to basketball while your knees still good the rapping is 1000.00 percent WACK dude
Needs to spend more time trying to clear that acne and less time pretending to be a rapper. Actually surprised he could get a single line out considering his daddy’s d ick is always in his mouth
Dude looks like moms could hire him as a drake lookalike for their 5 year olds bday party
The only all player who can legitimately rap is Dame Dolla
“Lonzo is a neophyte rapper with a laconic delivery.” ….wtf? I don’t know of that is a good thing or a bad thing?
Neophyte means rookie. Young. Lacking experience. Laconic means someone who speaks briefly. Doesn’t use many words. You’re using a phone or a computer with access to the greatest database in history fam…
im digging it man
Sounds like 1000 other albums out.
Wack MF…stay off the South’s dick. Rep ur city…LA is WATTS, BOYLE HEIGHTS, COMPTON, INGLEWOOD, POMONA, CRENSHAW, WHITTIER, PICO UNION, ECHO PARK, LONG BEACH, BALDWIN VILLAGE, HAWTHORNE, WILLOWBROOK, ATHENS. Stop clownin fool and ur album trash
You better go to sleep at this hour, wake at that hour, you BETTER eat cereals and everything else I say, you should do if you do not want to be considered a wack MF …
I hope you got the sarcasm.
Black Milk review when?
2.6????? LMFAOOOOO… GTFOH HIPHOPDX. ONE SON.
haha this fool thought he can actually rap better than nas? wait forget that….. did he even think he can rap? foh with this air discus.
hey ya hey zo zo get up!
hey ya ohhh zo zo get up
trash…stick to ball, lame-o…
I don’t think you should just condemn him to stick to one thing. He tried, it was terrible, doesn’t mean he can’t get better. I hate when ppl tell athletes or entertainers stay on one path. But yes, this album is rated 2.6 pts higher than it deserves
I can see skinny jean teenagers liking this mess
Hot trash I can’t believe he got the nerve to criticize one of the best to do it
All SHITTY music sounds like this, you mean, Dave East, Young M.A., Kendrick, Joey Badass, Nas, too many others to mention DONT sound like this audio doodie.
Step ya rap game up
This is right up the new generation’s alley. They all like this crap.
2.6 when this shit only deserved a 0.6 at its best. I regret the moments I spent skipping through this bullshit!
THE GOAT!!!
lonzoooo
Weak ass white boy Lonzo. Generic production. Wack lyrics. What a terrible outing. A really pathetic try at music. No substance on the lyrics either. Fifth grade music. And lonzo the caucasian thinks a legend like Nas sucks??!! How ironic. Is there a button lower than mute on my remote?
Could be worse .. don’t get me wrong it’s bad but better then anything that roll of fruit loops puts out .. yes I mean 69 .. dx this rating is a tad high but given what most of the new gen has to offer it could be worse still not great or good … It came its gone imo deuces
So by polar opposite of Illmatic you mean its not boring af? BBB for life, hoe. Lakers ftw.
bullshit
Album is lit
Fire I loved it
straight heat