LowKeyJuicewlrd999 fell backward into music and made the most of it. Before 2016, he’d never rapped a word, but after serving a two-year prison sentence, he decided to give it a try, thanks to the prodding of Quality Control executives Coach K and Pierre “Pee” Thomas and his former classmate Young Thug, who paid him to leave his hood and go to the studio. After releasing seven projects in two years, the Atlanta artist took a year off and returns on his new album My Turn as something approaching a marquee act. The album title’s message is obvious: He is stepping into his star moment, but while his songs are pleasantly steady and well-balanced, he still has yet to really command attention on his own.
Juicewlrd999 is like the inverse of Young Thug. Where Thug is explosively unpredictable, Juicewrld999 is reliably inert. His mellow, lilting raps have poise, but when they lock into a groove they lose all momentum. There are songs called “Solid” and “Consistent” here, and that tells you almost everything you need to know. The album is only saved by his minor improvement as a songwriter and lyricist. He is ready to embrace his notoriety, albeit cautiously. “I never call myself a G.O.A.T., I
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