Pusha T, It’s Almost Dry | Album Review 💿

It’s Almost Dry, the fourth studio album by rapper Pusha T, has no shortage of worthwhile moments that keep coke rap alive and well.

“If you know, you know!” I know that’s right! I also know that 🎙 Pusha T is one of the better, most consistent rappers in the game.  He may not get the wider recognition he deserves but Push always delivers a strong album.  Following up his third album, 💿 DAYTONA, his fourth studio album, 💿 It’s Almost Dry continues this unflappable consistency.  Comprised of 12 tracks, all 12 have replay value. It’s Almost Dry isn’t the perfect LP, but there is no shortage of worthwhile moments that keep coke rap alive and well.

“Brambleton”

🤩🎵 “Brambleton” kicks off It’s Almost Dry with a bang.  Pusha T delivers his usual tough, hard-nosed flow, delivering personal rhymes.  In the first verse, he references the death of an associate, The Notorious B.I.G., and 2Pac (“Buyin’ biggies, but was ridin’ on some 2Pac shit”). In the second verse, unsurprisingly, he references his go-to, cocaine (“You would pay sixteen, I would pay eighteen / When I paid twenty-two, still was a great thing”). The third and final verse may be the most interesting, with Push referencing a Vlad interview with a former manager who he feels betrayed him.  In addition to the intriguing verses, the chorus is exceptional, as is the production (🎛 Pharrell Williams).

“If the money is the evil root / Let the smokers shine the coupes.” Woo! 🤩🎵 “Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes” keeps the momentum rolling with no drop off. If anything, Pusha T is more dialed in, characterizing himself as “Cocaine’s Dr. Seuss.” It should come as no surprise that cocaine fuels the fire, whether its “If kilograms is the groove,” or “Coca leaf and potpourris / … Don’t brag bricks to me.” Pharrell remains behind the boards, assisted by 🎛 Ojivolta. 🎙 Kanye West joins Push on 🤩🎵 “Dreamin of the Past,” in addition to producing the highlight.  As to be expected from a Ye production, the sample is prominent: 🎙 Donny Hathaway’s cover of a John Lennon record, 🎵 “Jealous Guy (Studio Version)”. Pusha T slays, riding the sample like a champ. He delivers an absolute bullet when he raps, “You hollerin’, ‘Top five,’ I only see top me / Award shows the only way you bitches could rob me.” NOT a jab at 🎙 Cardi B, who beat him out for the 🏆 Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2018.

“Neck & Wrist” 

Anytime Pusha T collaborates with 🎙 Jay-Z, it’s a good thing! 🤩🎵 “Neck & Wrist” marks the latest collab with Hov and it’s F-I-R-E 🔥. Notably, both rappers were drug dealers. Besides Hov, Push is also assisted by 🎙 🎛 Pharrell Williams once more, both as a vocalist and producer. The centerpiece is the chorus, which Williams gets the memorable, titular line.  Of course, Pusha is on autopilot in the first verse, giving us a high with the coke references (“The Colgate kilo, the hood needs whitening”).  Of course, Jay-Z goes off in the second verse: “I blew bird money, y’all talkin’ Twitter feed / We got different Saab stories, save your soliloquies.” Woo! “Neck and wrist don’t lie,” baby!

Kanye West is back at the helm on 🎵 “Just So You Remember,” alongside 🎛 BoogzDaBeast, and 🎛 FNZ. Notably, “Just So You Remember” samples 🎙 Colonel Bagshot. The results remain positive and incredibly consistent. The mysterious, minimalist backdrop is a perfect fit for Push’s gritty, grimy delivery.  There is never a shortage of lyrical highlights, with “The book of blow, just know I’m the Genesis” standing incredibly tall. 

“Imaginary players ain’t been coached right / Master recipes under stove lights / The number on the jersey is the quote price / You ordered Diet Coke, that’s a joke, right?” Woo! From the jump of 🤩🎵 “Diet Coke”, Pusha T is locked-in and on autopilot. The three-minute-long record is NOT about the soft drink sweetened with aspartame. It’s straight coke (cocaine) rap baby! His flow is agile, commanding, and rock-solid.  Following the intro (a sample), Pusha drops an awesome chorus, excerpted above.  His second verse references drugs including lyrics such as “Snows are must, the nose must adjust,” and “The crack era was such a Black era / How many still standin’ reflectin’ in that mirror.” Push was a drug dealer, hence why crack is a fixture in his rhymes.  Besides mentioning the stove, snow, and coke, I love how he pays ode to fellow Virginia rapper, 🎙 Missy Elliott (“Miss was our only misdemeanor”).  Also, besides the brilliant rhymes, what about that gorgeous piano-fueled production (🎛 Kanye West and 🎛 88-Keys)? All in all, “Diet Coke” is utterly sublime. The rhymes are potent, the chorus shines, and the production is superb.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: February 2022

“Rock N Roll”

Great production minds join forces on 🤩🎵 “Rock N Roll,” one of the best records from It’s Almost Dry. 🎙 Kanye West is listed as a performer (verse three) and producer, with Pharrell Williams and Ojivolta joining him behind the boards. 🎙 Kid Cudi brings some color to the record, delivering the chorus with distorted melodic rapped vocals. Cudi also performs the bridge with those beloved hums – a vibe! Also, can’t fail to mention 🎙 Beyoncé, who is brilliantly sampled (🎵 “1+1”). King Push gets the first two verses and they are on-point: “A ‘C’ on my chest, coke dealers, come and play here” and, “I’m the trap, I’m the fix, I’m the broker, I’m The Joker / In the deck, Arthur Fleck, when he’s pissed, triple six.” Killer! 

🤩🎵 “Call My Bluff” cedes no momentum whatsoever.  Pharrell Williams is solely attributed to the production.  The result is a backdrop that only he could produce.  It’s distinct, enigmatic, and set in a minor key.  It allows Pusha T to deliver one of the best choruses of the album, no cap.  As for the verses, there’s ample dope, ample toughness, and shooters, and I’m not talking 🏀 Steph Curry here! On paper, it might seem like follow up 🎵 “Scrape it Off” should be the bigger attraction. After all, Push enlists 🎙 Lil Uzi Vert and 🎙 Don Toliver for the assist.  It’s an enjoyable, respectable record.  That said, I’d argue that it doesn’t fit Pusha’s style, as well as other songs from the album. The Don Toliver chorus is enjoyable and – wait for it – a vibe!

“Hear Me Clearly”

The final quarter of It’s Almost Dry features three respectable songs with one ranking among the best of the best. 🎵 “Hear Me Clearly,” featuring 🎙 Nigo, is easily a better fit for Pusha T than “Scrape it Off.” West is one of the producers once more, sampling one of my favorite 🎙 Rick Ross songs, 🎵 “Free Mason”. Specifically, the chorus hails from the 2010, 💿 Teflon Don gem: “Hear me clearly, if y’all niggas fear me / Just say y’all fear me, fuck all these fairy tales.” 🎵 “Open Air” arrives as the penultimate joint, filled with all the cocaine references you could ask for. “In these ten crack commandments, I’m Moses, yeah,” he spits near the end of the first verse. That’s after he speaks about “feeding the projects for most of the year” (drug dealing and such). The chorus stands out with Push asserting, “Sellin’ cocaine in the open air, the boats is there / The notes is there, yeah, the ropes is there.”

Pusha T concludes It’s Almost Dry with a surefire banger, 🤩🎵 “I Pray for You”. “I Pray for You” features 🎙 Labrinth, who also produces alongside 🎛 Kanye West, and the other half of 🎙 Clipse, his brother, 🎙 Malice. Labrinth gets the first big moment, performing the enigmatic intro (or chorus) beautifully.  He prays for everybody, including “for the ones who won’t betray me again” and “killers.”  It sets up Pusha T for an epic verse where he goes H.A.M.  He kicks things off turned up, asserting, “Rarely do you see the Phoenix rise from the ashes / Lightnin’ struck twice on four classics.” Woo! From there, it’s kick-ass line after kick-ass line whether referencing a 2009 Jay-Z gem, coke, more coke, and reuniting with Malice. Malice comes back with a vengeance in the second verse with no shortage of ether-laden lines.  Some of my favorite rhymes he spits straight heat 🔥 🔥 🔥 at the end:

“Faith never wavered as I walked along the fence

Faith moves mountains, so what are you up against?

Watch my brother ’round you bitches, I know he pretends

I greet you with the love of God, that don’t make us friends.”

Also, I can’t neglect that backdrop featuring the organ!

Appears in 🔻:

• Pusha T, “I Pray For You”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 14 (2022)

Final Thoughts 💭 

Once again, Pusha T delivers a quality album from start to finish.  That has become the expectation for King Push.  It’s Almost Dry isn’t perfect but it has plenty of excellent, totally worthwhile moments.  There are no outright misses as the 🏆 Grammy-nominated coke rapper continues to be one of the best rappers in the game who deserves wider recognition.  Hopefully, he’s in contention once again for Best Rap Album during the 2023 Grammys!

🤩 Gems 💎: “Brambleton,” “Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes,” “Dreamin of the Past,” “Neck & Wrist,” “Diet Coke,” “Rock N Roll,” “Call My Bluff” & “I Pray for You”

🎙 Pusha T • 💿 It’s Almost Dry • 🏷 Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam • 🗓 4.22.22

[📷: Getting Out Our Dreams, Inc. / Def Jam]