Gazzy Garcia, the 18 year old rapper better known as Lil Pump, just dropped his long-awaited album, Harverd Dropout, on Friday. With more than a year’s worth of memes and press backing up the anticipation for the album, one question can finally be answered: Was the wait worth all the hype?
The short answer is: Yes.
The album starts off with the track “Drop Out,” a song with a comically simple, yet energetic, trap beat, the majority of the lines beginning with the phrase, “dropped out,” repetition being characteristic of Lil Pump. The rest of the album follows a similar formula.
Many people have criticized the young rapper for his repetitive, unsubstantial lyrics and clunky beats in the past. I’ve never found this to be a valid reason to hate on the rapper. Songs off the album like, “I Love It (feat. Kanye West),” and “Stripper Name (feat. YG and 2 Chainz)” are particularly goofy and repetitive, but they accomplish exactly what Lil Pump is trying to do with his music; his songs are purely fun.
I could do a full critical analysis of each track on Harverd Dropout, but honestly, there is nothing to say about one track that couldn’t be said about the others. Lil Pump is formulaic, but that’s okay!
I think a lot of the time, people review Lil Pump like they are reviewing artists like J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar. In other words, they are looking for depth where depth isn’t meant to be found.
It is okay to critique J. Cole for being too corny because he’s trying to be serious. His lyrics are meant to be full of hidden meanings and messages about America’s social and political climate. If his lyrics fail to get his message across in a meaningful way, then it makes perfect sense to find fault with his music.
To employ the same rhetoric while reviewing a Lil Pump album would be idiotic.
Lil Pump isn’t trying to make a statement, he is just trying to make fun party songs. The young rapper isn’t concerned with writing deep, insightful lyrics, so why are critics so upset when he repeats the same word over and over? Pump has crafted his own catchy, low-brow sound that isn’t meant to be over-analyzed. In the end, it’s good party music.
In that regard, Harverd Dropout is a phenomenal album. Every beat hits equally as hard as the last. Every song has a memorable hook and clever, goofy puns.
The album is entertaining. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that. Music is allowed to be fun. Stop over-analyzing Lil Pump and let him be a fun, spunky kid. If music is about free expression, then stop expecting it to be profound 100% of the time and, instead, take the time to listen to and enjoy it.
Stream Harverd Dropout Below
