2 Cents: Nothing's Changed

This sophomore mixtape from the artist Bucky aka the Royal Warlord is available for streaming and free download @ 

https://soundcloud.com/buckythewarlord/sets/nothings-changed

Flow

Bucky's flow is confident. His vocals are easy on the ears and he sounds like he's been spitting for awhile. This emcees vocal skills show diversity within one project. Songs such as Gotta Lotta sound much different from Passionate. This diversity in flow shows maturity, much appreciated. On the flip, for listeners who don't favor a lazier, more relaxed flow: Bucky's vocals may sound tired. While I concede to that fact that his flow is slower- I challenge to the listener to understand that his flow matches the intensity the beats he's rapping over. The hype tracks feature a hype Bucky- the more relaxed tracks feature a relaxed Bucky.

Production

Speaking of beats- this project features some interesting sounds. There is a definite diversity in sound on this tape that I appreciate. An artist that has a slew of different sounds under their belt has much more longevity than the artist that has only one sound. The production value of the mixtape ranges from average to adept. The mastering of certain songs such as Rollin' differs greatly from the mastering of Cold Hearted, for sure. On the flip, the beats are fun, lively, and layer well with Bucky's vocals. The arrangement of the songs also makes sense and I applaud the intelligence behind that. The features are also used strategically (not taking up most of the tape, fun back and forth).

Content

The youth in this artist's sound is apparent in his content. The cliche drug references are sprinkled over frequent conscious verses. Bucky seems to be in a transitional phases where he uses his music to reflect on himself and his surroundings. Usually hearing an artist's youth through his content is detrimental, however, in Bucky's case I feel it is beneficial. His verses are all relatable and authentic to his story. A listener will understand what Bucky's message is about himself and what he perceives from one listen through, no problem.

Overall

Overall, as a standalone project I think Nothing's Changed is dope. I feel as though growth has been made but more is to come. This project gets 3 stars out've 5 for me keeping in mind 2 things: mixtapes today are viewed though am album scope and Bucky's peers are just as hungry. The hip-hop industry is inundated with young emcees doing their thing, Bucky's project has a place in this rebirth of raw rap, for sure. He's got to stay hungry to stay alive. Right now I feel Bucky is heating up- when he's hot its a wrap.

Favorite Song: Fly Me To The Moon (prod. By RayAyy)