Chris Brown, assisted by Future and Young Thug, drop ‘more of the same’ cockiness, over-confidence, and materialism on single, “High End.”

It’s officially happening – Heartbreak on a Full Moon arrives on Halloween (Tuesday, October 31).  Heartbreak on a Full Moon marks the first double album by Chris Brown.  YAY…said no one ever.  Based on the artist that Brown has become, it’s difficult to get excited about a 45-track project.  He’s bad boy through and through, and for years, he’s failed to expand his scope.  His latest single, “High End,” featuring Future and Young Thug, continues on his trend of narrow-minded tracks, devoid of substance.  Occasional flexing never hurt anybody, but Brown and his crew have played it out far too often.

Future takes the first verse.  Ultimately, his performance and his rhymes are predictable – cliché to the nth degree.  He raps about a Porsche SUV (the Cayenne, which is a sweet ride BTW), Balenciaga, Richard Mille, and Tesla among others.  All these things are high end.  Okay, so what? Chris Brown follows suit on the second verse, pop-rapping about “everything high end.” He also throws in a marvelous line about women:

“All of you n*ggas my little homies / Here’s knowledge for you / Stop tryna wife a thot b*tch…”

As always, he’s cocky, overconfident, and true to himself…for the worst. Following a dumb interlude by Future, Young Thug adds to the to the ‘high end’ trip.  This includes references to drugs (molly) and of course, material things (a mink and a Jaguar).  Future closes with his wisdom: “High end, yeah.”

Final Thoughts

There’s a couple of ways to examine “High End.” As its own entity, it’s a forgettable mess.  Neither of these artists present themselves as endearing but rather materialistic and shallow to the nth degree.  It’s hard to get anything out of the record, even a temporary thrill.  In the context of Heartbreak on a Full Moon, it builds little buzz because Brown and company are doing ‘more of the same,’ and not executing it particularly well.  “High End” ends up being lazy with few, if any redeeming qualities.  Heard it before too many times.

Chris Brown • Heartbreak on a Full Moon • RCA • Release: 10.31.17 

Photo Credit: RCA