Lil Baby, “Detox” | Track Review

While his flow is potent, Grammy-nominated rapper Lil Baby doesn’t deliver that ‘wow’ factor on his brief banger, “Detox.”

Can Grammy-nominated rapper, Lil Baby, do any wrong (musically)?  Given his popularity, it seems like that’s a resounding no.  Lil Baby has lots of good things going for him, so it’s understandable that he enjoys and rides that wave. That said, given the quality of the likes “The Bigger Picture” or “How It Feels” (with Lil Durk), he’s allowed to miss sometimes.  I’m not saying “Detox” lacks banger qualities, but it’s merely okay.

The good in “Detox” lies within its production, a collaborative effort by Cubeatz, Eza, KJ, Nick Papz, and London Jae. The record is set in a minor key, the sound is malicious, and the beat provides a successful anchor.  There’s also good in the flow of Lil Baby, which is always captivating.  He embraces melodic rap, delivers a fine cadence, and generally has a unique, endearing sound.  That said, in “Detox,” it’s a bit hard to decipher what he is saying initially, even while reading the lyrics simultaneously.  He delivers some winning bars here and there whether its “How I’m movin’ like I got eight arms / Tryna get my hands in everything” or “I ain’t tryna see her, I’ma detox for the next few days”), but, he doesn’t necessarily deliver a TKO.

Final Thoughts  

So, does Lil Baby bring anything new to the table with “Detox”? Nope, not really.  As always, his flow is compelling – I enjoy the sound of his voice and his cadence. That said, after listening, I don’t leave wowed – been there, done that, essentially.  It’s okay but doesn’t jump out at you like a big-time, Lil Baby hit.

Lil Baby • “Detox” • Quality Control Music, LLC • 9.2.22

[: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay, Quality Control Music, LLC]