Smokedope2016 - THE COMEDOWN: Album Review

It can be amusing to observe some of the annotations made on Genius. In particular, a blunt note left on one of Virginia rapper Smokedope2016’s lyrics from his latest album THE COMEDOWN asserts that “bros 20 sum talking about bad grades” [sic] on track ‘Forgiato’ and this slight poke at Smokedope potentially sums up the album’s more dated themes. Whilst cloud rap can be seen by some as a genre that’s already had its run in 2010s mainstream media, Smokedope proves on THE COMEDOWN that there’s still a place for its hazy psychedelia, but his once-sauntering lyrics are starting to catch up to him.

As the final instalment in his epic drug-fuelled “2016lyfe” trilogy that commenced in 2022 with THE COMEUP and followed up by sybaritic project THE PEAK, THE COMEDOWN shines in its production but lands hard when one attempts to read between the lines of what’s being imparted to us. Supposedly being the most vulnerable of the three, Smokedope’s hedonistic indulgences still roam rampant throughout all its songs. Its sonic appeal cannot be denied: as the album begins proudly aloft on the same highs of THE PEAK in atmosphere, track ‘Banshee’ features bartesianwater on production and is an extremely strong start to the project. 

‘Wild ‘N Out’ is a personal favourite, and its production is brilliantly iridescent and multitextured. Its lyrics revel in rambunctious fun: lines such as “Smokin' Cubans with 2uduri / this bitch is too dirty” further project the rapper’s blasé attitude to the high life. Whilst ‘Wild ‘N Out’ is an album standout, the better songs on THE COMEDOWN are generally ambient and deeply settled in traditional cloud rap instrumentals. ‘Be My Zombie’ possesses a somber ambience, where Smokedope states that “makin’ these songs is [his] only real medicine” despite all the hallucinogenic endeavors he engages in (like being “baked on Bicycle Day”). It flows seamlessly into subsequent track ‘Ozweego’, a song where an entrancing beat possessing a treacle-like texture glues down images of steeples and fast cars.

Final song ‘Closing Time’ is particularly self-aware and addresses Smokedope’s own rapstar alias as a burden that he is struggling to lighten. It is the album’s most personal track, and summates a variety of personal issues stemming from his own choices (“But I'm privileged, grew up nice, fucked it up, did dumb shit”). This track is so emotionally weighted that Smokedope declares that he “won’t relisten to it still” and proves itself to be a gut-wrenchingly insightful overview into his life as of yet. Developing the identity of Smokedope2016 to be a less encumbering one, however, starts with Smokedope himself, and it’s clear that he spends many moments too long with the same thoughts across different tracks. 

THE COMEDOWN fundamentally loses its traction with its slow pace being paired with a lack of lyrical deftness. As Smokedope divulges countlessly into the consequences of his actions, attempts at being emotionally unfiltered start off strong then dull relatively quickly with each iteration of the same activities. The “comedown” concept starts to become a constraint that is overly relied on by Smokedope and at times, forced upon the album’s tracks. Its delivery veers into lackadaisical territories at times: in ‘Lay My Body Down’ his reliance on drugs cannot be made any clearer (“Pot, ganja, MJ weed, I’m smokin’ on a big leaf, yeah”) and carries almost no impact after each utterance. 

There may be some nuance to this, though: every drug-related reference can be read as a double entendre that relates both to his name and his actions. Smokedope’s identity, then. becomes tied up in knots: his stage name as well as his habitual substance abuse meld together and becomes a fate he feels reduced to. The venting on THE COMEDOWN becomes macabre and paranoid, and on ‘Lips Sealed’ Smokedope even states that “it's symbiotic how heartbreak and drugs made me so lazy”. The concept album has attached a great reverence to both heartbreak and drugs, resembling an inescapable religion that has humbled Smokedope into producing incessant ramblings on those subjects alone. 

Irrespective of his lyrics, cloud rap still maintains its relevance within the scene with Smokedope at the forefront. He’s unafraid to admit it, too: track ‘Lay My Body Down’ reaffirms that he's “the one that brought this shit back, ain’t no lyin”. His ability to stir intrigue in the minds of those who may come across his perpetually blurry profile online has proven successful, especially with the recent rise in popularity of faceless artists and streamers like Esdeekid, who harboured an incredible amount of intrigue through his mysterious identity. Paired with hazy visuals that possess a homemade kitschiness (you can almost taste the liquor through Smokedope’s ‘In Da Party’ music video) as well as album covers showcasing a hotchpotch of polychromatic images, Smokedope stands to emulate a culture that speaks to those still flicking through dog-eared memories of 2016 that are green-tinted and carefree. Whilst Smokedope’s passion may be slowly suffocating him, some good can be uncovered in THE COMEDOWN.