Che - Fully Loaded: EP Review

Coming off of one of the definitive rage rap albums of the decade, Che has found himself as one of the most important rappers of this generation. Be that as it may, on his surprise drop Fully Loaded, he has completely pivoted from playful, Whole Lotta Red inspired vocals, to a menacing, angry, metal-inspired growl. 

Worth noting though, I just want to emphasize the different directions Che and Carti are taking. I viewed Carti’s deep voice as far more austere and minimalistic, while Che takes it in a far more  maximalist direction, akin to Future on songs like “Groupies,” where he cultivates a rough voice and pumps the bass in order to convey aggressiveness.

Che’s aggression on this EP is best displayed by my favorite track, “Promoting Violence.” Seemingly a response to Bleood and BruceDropEmOff dissing him earlier, where both Bleood and Bruce said that they “couldn’t listen to a Che song,” Che’s flow is unparalleled in its bruising nature. Rumbling bass supports the sound, with the only treble being a wailing, repeating siren that layers over the hard-hitting lyrics and chorus where he repeats “I got smoke for a n*gga who dissin' (I got smoke).”

On “Kittens” and “Tattoos,” you hear Che at his most similar to Rest in Ba$$. He brings back the twitchy and unconventional vocals and flow from that previous album. Yet, it is still a far cry from Rest in Ba$$, utilizing the bass far more while straying away from strong drum beats. 

Ultimately, my concern with this EP is not really to do with the songs themselves. They are very good and are a massive switch up from anything I’ve heard from him before. But, on Rest in Ba$$, my favorite part of the album was Che’s ability to be so expressive with his vocals, unlike many of his fellow artists who have bland, repetitive deliveries. Take “Marceline” off of Rest in Ba$$, for example. He is able to convey feeling and emotion into lyrics that other artists simply couldn’t.

With this switch in the sound, Che is walking a fine line between genuinely interesting music and repetitiveness. If this is the trailer to an eighteen-track release, his delivery could very easily stray the album into a boring, repetitive, bloated mess with no replay value. 

I am optimistic, though, based on his inclusion of “Kittens” and “Tattoos” on the EP. He must be able to deliver a fusion of this deep voice and the hard hitting bass while not being boring or retreading motifs from a time in his career that has now passed. 

All in all, I am warily optimistic and curious about this new Che sound.