Smino is back on the scene with his playful new mixtape, “She Already Decided.” Smino hasn’t dropped a full-length body of work since his 2018 album, “NOIR,” so this came as a pleasant surprise to his fans.
“She Already Decided” oozes confidence and Smino has a self-righteous attitude as he grips the mic. His flow is incredibly infectious on this project, switching up the flow like the swivel of a rubix cube. Smino is known to have lyrical world play that is both silly and clever.
On “She Already Decided,” his lazy delivery comes across as effortless, so that when he does speed up the tempo, it is surprisingly fierce. “She Already Decided” sonically takes inspiration from both traditional blues and jazz, infused with modern hip-hop/trap beats. His features on this project, such as T-Pain and Mike Jones elevate the level of soul and R&B that Smino’s sound possesses.
Smino’s accent and voice, in general, is so distinctive, proving that this is one of his key assets as an artist. He channeled that strength with this project, experimenting with singing and soulful melodies. On the first track, “Fronto Isley,” Smino’s raspy and gritty vocals crescendo over the flute and jazz instrumentation lingering in the background. His ad-libs are also notable on this project.
Smino voice is high pitched in this, sounding like baby Mario flying all animated and lively on the beat. Even though most of this project is Smino embodying his carefree and smug mentality, he still manages to leave in little gems that showcase his world play skills.
On the track “S.A.D. Lil Intro,” the beat sounds like a literal celebration or party, energetic horns dancing and high hats erupting like fireworks. Smino’s flow matches the beat, as he raps at a much faster pace and cadence than normal.
He raps, “Said, the legend comin’, who you votin’ for? Bernie Blunt, what you askin’ questions for? Know she soft, don’t why she actin hard. Pink legend, I deserve a Patrick Star, huh.”
He slips in his political preference so slick, amidst his clever and creative use of antonyms and synonyms. Smino also pays homage and re-mixes popular tracks such as, “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion and “Orange Soda” by Baby Keem. Smino puts his own twist and style on these tracks, transforming “Savage” to “Cabbage” and “Orange Soda” to “Blac Soda (Freestyle).”
It’s evident that “She Already Decided” is meant to boost spirits, as we see Smino truly loving and having fun with his craft – that light-hearted and frivolous energy is even expressed just in the track titles alone. The tracks titled “Chips and Juice” and “Popeyes” radiate a sense of familiarity. Smino states that this sense of relatability and comfort was a tone he set for this project intentionally.
At the beginning of “S.A.D. Lil Intro” he says, “Goddamn I took my shoes off and shit. Get comfortable. I want y’all to feel at home. Southern hospitality type shit. Midwest Reality type shit.”
That sense of comfort is something that appears so natural to Smino but, in track “Year of the Goat” – he exposes how hard he works in order to achieve this level of peace.
He raps, “And to the woman I provoke, I’m better off alone. Sometimes I wanna be around myself, I drown it out with hoes. I drown it with smoke, I’m drownin’ in an ocean full of anxiety. And purple soda, you don’t wanna hit my fronto leaf. I use too much, I’m bogus.”
This self-reflection and emotional depth are illuminated in this track, making the rest of the project’s sense of ease all the more powerful and revealing. “She Already Decided” will make you feel at home while you remain safe by staying home.
