On Oct. 28, American rapper Smino released his third studio album “Luv 4 Rent.” On first listen, I was not expecting to be blown away by this album, but it significantly exceeded my expectations. “Luv 4 Rent”—with its unique and interesting vocals, sounds and themes—may be one of my favorite albums released this year. Let’s dive further into each track.
4rm Da Source
The album starts off with a quiet, distorted instrumental with coinciding obscurely pitched vocals. It ends with a soundbite interlude. The use of unusual vocal techniques combined with a calming and relaxed tune perfectly sets the tone for the album.
No L’s
This second song draws from old school hip-hop and R&B influences in the beginning of the track to develop a warm and upbeat vibe. Towards the end of the song, the percussion pattern and strings relax, and the vocal choices emulate some of Smino’s signature sounds. This song feels like watching the sunset on a summer night and is a highlight of the album.
90 Proof (with J. Cole)
This song was released as a single, and it is a favorite among Smino and J. Cole fans. It has over 10 million streams on Spotify, making it 10 times more popular than most of the other tracks. The ascending chorus combined with the warm melody is catchy and smile-inducing. Although I do not listen to J. Cole, I enjoyed his feature on this song. His vocals differ greatly from Smino’s melodic hums, which added perfect contrast. Overall, this song is enjoyable to listen to and one of my favorites on the album.
Pro Freak (with Doechii and Fatman Scoop)
To me, “Pro Freak” is the best song on the album and is unlike anything I ever heard before. I would consider it to be a party song, with its loud instrumental and light-hearted lyrics. It begins with a loud chant from Fatman Scoop, which leads into the—quite addicting—pitched chorus. Female rapper Doechii’s fast-paced verse later transitions into a relaxed verse from Smino. This song is a perfect mix of sounds from start to finish and is severely underrated.
Ole Ass Kendrick
This next song comes down from the exciting high of “Pro Freak” into a slow, melodic song likely inspired by—as stated in the title—Kendrick Lamar. The song follows the story of a time Smino spent with a girl listening to old Kendrick Lamar songs. It is a simple and sweet one.
Louphoria (with Cruza)
“Louphoria” continues with a slow, spacey track with echoing reverbs. I enjoyed this song, but I do not think it is necessarily super interesting or revolutionary.
Blu Billy
This one is a little more upbeat with a seemingly conflicting pessimistic message as Smino talks about how we all—from drug dealers to preachers—act on condition with wavering morality. He later flaunts about his self-made success as an artist. The contrast between the sweet tune and the grim message is amusing.
Matinee
Matinee is another popular song on this album, as it was the other single released before the album alongside “90 Proof.” With a simple fast-paced beat, mellow hums and chants, repeat-after-me outro and playful lyrics about drinking, smoking and sex, it feels as it would be the song of the summer if it was released earlier in the year.
Modennaminute (with Lucky Daye and Phoelix)
The song starts with an accelerated mellow chorus that I initially thought was a sample from an early 2010s pop song. The chorus is actually sung by Phoelix. The song takes a different approach from others on the album as it ditches warmth for a more solemn theme of heartbreak and reflection. I enjoyed this one.
Defibrillator
This song is airy and lighthearted with beautiful harmonies. It ends with a touching snippet of what seems to be a voicemail recording from Smino’s uncle. He mentions how he is proud of his nephew for being gifted. All elements of the track are uplifting.
Garden Lady
The mood calms down once again on this relaxed and melodic track. Although the echoey reverbs did not impress me on “Louphoria,” I thought the reverberated vocals were fitting and beautiful on Garden Lady. The purposefulness of each element of this song grew on me.
Settle Down (featuring Cory Henry and Ravyn Lenae)
“Settle Down” is another highlight of the album. It features compact, gospel-inspired harmonies and percussion components that feel as if they were part of a marching band. In the feel-good chorus, Smino and Ravyn Lenae vocalize about doing their best, not having stress and relying on God to do the rest. The combination of hip-hop and gospel elements produces a captivating sound.
Pudgy (featuring Lil Uzi Vert)
This song features another catchy chorus of tight, upbeat bars. I was pleasantly surprised by Lil Uzi Vert’s feature on this song. Usually, Lil Uzi raps distinctively in his style on features, but it seemed as if he stepped out of his comfort zone to conform to the theme of album. The transition from Smino to Lil Uzi was seamless and fitting.
Curtains
This song is a rollercoaster in the perfect way. It starts off with a subtle melody with Smino’s traditional flows. As it continues, the vocals are edited and sound like those of Travis Scott. The subtle melody stays with a new percussion pattern. The song ends with a pitched and distorted verse from Smino’s little cousin. I think the vocal editing was a creative choice.
Lee & Lovie (featuring Reggie)
This last song draws from retro soul influences of the 1960s with rich vocals and warm instrumentals. Thematically, it is about falling in love and not having worries. It was a satisfying closing to the album, and I finished this last song smiling.
