Lil Pump doubled down on the minute-and-a-half speaker-blaring ad-lib marathons and Playboi Carti transformed his ethereal sound into a lush vibe. One thing the artists born on Soundcloud who seamlessly transitioned into rap stars have done is emphasize their sound, even if it was initially polarizing. On Life’s a Trip, Trippie-who begins his album 10 feet from the mic yelling, “I’m a rockstar,”-fights his own strengths. And that was cool, but what made Trippie a breakout star were the times when he took full control of his voice and embraced the incessant shrieking on production that was both dark and airy. He was versatile, he could hold a melody well enough to perform a pop-punk ballad and rap like someone who listened to too much Little Brother. The tape created a world where Trippie sang, introduced everyone to his signature moans and screeches, and even dove into some boom-bap. Trippie’s debut mixtape, 2017’s A Love Letter to You, was a beautiful mess. It’s why his debut album Life’s a Trip shouldn’t be disappointing but is because despite the numbers, high-profile beefs, a permanent spot on DJ Akademiks’ Instagram, and a voice like no other, Trippie wasn’t ready for his big moment. Even in the hyperspeed world of SoundCloud, Trippie’s rise was accelerated. He said that they will know him in a month-and he was right. Besides a few Supreme shoulder-bag wearing SoundCloud heads, the audience had no clue who he was despite his track “ Love Scars” tearing up the internet. A year ago, Trippie Redd stood in the iconic Coney Island theme park staring at the screaming roller coaster riders and berating the crowd for faintly booing his performance.

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