When new artists arrive on the hip hop scene they often mimic other artists, and that makes sense because we are always influenced by others. Creating a different sound is hard and nearly impossible in today’s generation. Today we review Energyy‘s mixtape “Jungle Rules” a Travis Scott inspired tape by an emerging artist in Ottawa.
The Good
“Lydia’s Paradise” and “Not A Drill” are the best songs on this tape, Energyy brings the right energy on both songs especially from the production. The beat selection stands out because most upcoming Ottawa rappers forget to focus on a nice beat, but Energyy puts in effort. Not a Drill is a club banger and boosts Energyy’s skill of melodic rap. “Gummo” is another hit but it feels out of place after “Not a Drill” it would sound better as an intro/welcome song to start the mixtape. But Energyy rides the wave and puts in some unexpected bars in this track. “Outro” is another contender for best song on the tape because it presents some Afro-beats drums and an entertaining chorus. It leaves us wanting more.
The Bad
At times Energyy mimics Travis Scott too much, for example on Purple Haze he raps “oh my oh my what a wonderful time” taking the lyrics from “Wonderful” on Birds In the Trap Sing Brian Mcknight. It takes away the flavor of this song. “Welcome to the Jungle” felt out of place compared to the entire project. “Gummo” would have been better to start the tape. “Be My End” is also mid and could use some work.
The Final Take
Energyy has a lot of highs and very few lows, it is a great debut for the young Ottawa based rapper. We would like to see more afro-beat elements like “Outro” and more club bangers like “Not a drill” but overall this is a great project.
4.2/5
The Bytown Blog 