Deshawn mixtape drops, showcasing YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s relentless hustle and raw emotion. He teams up with renowned DJ Khaled as his host for his 27th mixtape. Khaled injects the mixtape with his signature hype man energy. Only 18 days after releasing his most recent album, MASA, the Baton Rouge native shows his consistency through this new release. A day before Deshawn’s release, Kentrell proclaimed in a, now deleted but still publicly available Instagram reel, “I just want to win. That’s why I’m dropping again, I want to do nothing but win.”
The Deshawn mixtape features 13 tracks, with its only guest appearance from fellow Baton Rouge legend, Kevin Gates. In another, now deleted Instagram reel posted 3 days after MASA’s release, Kentrell said, “After this week, we’re gonna go back to that gutter sh*t. We gonna go Still Flexin Still Steppin.” This references his 2020 album, remembered for its violent and gritty themes, though, it also included his signature emotional tracks. He promised Deshawn will have the same energy and he’s proven, once again, that he’s a man of his word.
Deshawn Mixtape: Song By Song Breakdown
One of my favorites, Pants Down, is a classic, aggressive, high energy song. BrandoBeatz, the producer, combines soft, subtle 808s, rolling hi-hats, and a sequential synthesizer giving the song an infectious bounce, making one feel fired up. The repetitive refrain and chorus emphasize a carefree, rebellious attitude. His unapologetic tone rounds off the song giving it its identity. Free Vea is more aggressive and raw in its delivery. It pays homage to North Baton Rouge rapper, ykwihfvea, who is currently locked up. Youngboy goes a step further by incorporating Vea’s ad-libs, truly cementing his love for him. It is one of the most grimy songs on the tape with multiple references to guns and violence.
Despite its title, Lord Forgive Me, is another aggressive song. It utilises a piano sample paired with the usual trap-style beat YoungBoy uses for his energetic tracks. He doesn’t hold back, asking the Almighty for mercy for his trespasses: “I done hit a b*tch up with that stick, Lord, forgive me (Lord, forgive me) / I done got into it with my friend, had to kill him, Lord forgive me / Lord, forgive me, I done sinned, they play with me, they gon’ get it.” Here, he references allegedly actual events as detailed in Trap Lore Ross’ documentary: YoungBoy: Real Killer or Fake Gangster?
Top’s vulnerability shines in another preferred choice of mine, This Month Confessions. He floats on the mellow, piano sampled beat laying out his emotional turmoil, longing for connection, and struggle with self-destructive tendencies. It explores his desire for love and stability: “I don’t give a f*ck ‘bout too much, I only care ‘bout you.” Despite this, he admits to struggle with promiscuity: “Can you be the one help me leave all these h*es?” A shocking line in the 1st verse, reveals a slight distaste for his upcoming MASA Tour: “They don’t know this tour not where my heart at, it ain’t gon’ heal my pain.”
Hustler‘s beat features a jingle bell-like sound, adding a soft vibe to the song. It is another one I really love as DeSean sings hitting high notes effortlessly. He describes himself as a “popular loner” caught between fame’s isolation, deep streets ties and disconnection from personal relationships. Once more, he hints at cancelling his tour: “Nigga, f*ck ’em, I’ll cancel out the whole tour, nigga knowin’ ’bout how Top do it.” He is possibly trying to show that he is the boss and can do whatever he pleases.
Ms. Gaulden is another tribute song, this time, to his wife, Jazlyn Mychelle. The love song captures his deep affection and reliance on her while thanking her for her loyalty: “I done fell in love, I hope you know it / Thank you for bein’ right there on my side when I’m up in trouble.” He cleverly uses a metaphor to further show his dependance on her: “When I’m dry, you’re my ocean.”
An introspective narrative highlighting the emotional turmoil of a strained romantic relationship, marked by love and betrayal, is delivered in MY’YA. He claims many are praying on his downfall: “I know they waitin’ to see if I’m gon’ flop.” A creative adaptation of the traditional folk song “Kumbaya” (“Come By Here”) is sang in the chorus. It is a spiritual hymn historically associated with unity, peace, and communal prayer, often sung in African-American spiritual contexts.
His aggressive tone returns in By The Gate. A declaration of loyalty to his crew and readiness to face any confrontation, it uses vivid imagery. For example: “Twenty somethin’ rounds inside my tool, I popped out, let out eight / Five shot the b*tch 11 f*ckin’ times by that gate.” Operating in the shadows, both physically in street life and figuratively in his personal troubles, is conveyed by the refrain “When the lights go down.” Another beloved option of mine is AI Marley. It features a soothing vocal sample, over which, Kentrell boldly proclaims his newfound freedom and a complex mix of love and conflict with a significant other, whom he yearns to connect with despite his chaotic life.
“We should FaceTime, I wanna see your eye,” he declares in the catchy post-chorus. He continues to reflect on personal growth: “And I was wrong, I ain’t know, but I can see that I’m older.” Kentrell cleverly uses the metaphor of love as a ‘drug’ he’d ‘ride’ for, revealing a conflicted heart in the 1st verse. On Raq Sh*t, DeSean uses a squeaky voice on the refrain which was underwhelming. However, the rest of the song is thoughtful and blends his plea for divine guidance with his unapologetic embrace of his street life and personal struggles.
The only feature on the Deshawn Mixtape, Trap Out ft. Kevin Gates, is the the most popular song on Youtube with a million views. On it, the 2 artists who previously had misunderstandings, pour their hearts out over a slow, melancholy piano beat. It comes with a huge surprise in the outro, where YoungBoy vows to release AI YoungBoy 3 next. The album would complete the trilogy following AI YoungBoy 2, which debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200. The pair craft a heartfelt narrative of drug dealing and dealing with incaceration and the resilience required to survive these hardships.
YoungBoy’s voice creeps on Blazers as he uses a subtle delivery and tone. Over the mellow beat, he delivers an unapologetic declaration of dominance, street credibility, and defiance. His readiness to confront any enemies is clear in the chorus. My favorite pun and multilayered metaphor comes in the chorus aswell: “I got on all this ice, you know I’m in here with a hockey stick.” The slang ‘hockey stick’ is a pun, cleverly used to mean both a piece of sports equipment and a gun. This suggests YoungBoy has expensive jewellery (‘ice’) and must carry a ‘stick’ (a gun) for protection.
The ‘hockey stick’ metaphor extends the imagery of ‘ice’ (diamonds) to suggest that Kentrell is a powerful and aggressive player in the world of wealth. Just as a hockey stick is used to dominate on the ‘ice’ rink, the weapon (‘hockey stick’) is used to maintain control and protect the ‘ice.’ La Vida Loca embraces his chaotic and luxurious lifestyle with unapologetic pride. His self awareness shows once more in the post chorus: “It’s a wild, wild life that I’m livin’, I’m livin.” The song tells of his journey from Baton Rouge’s slums to the top of the rap game.
Conclusion
The Deshawn Mixtape is an exhilirating project that brings back memories of YoungBoy at his wildest during covid. As always, he balanced aggression and vulnerability showing his versatility. He is undoubtedly one of the most consistent artists of our generation. He has achieved numerous milestones such as being the youngest artist to score 100 career, hot 100 billboard entries in 2023 at just 23 years old. He was also recently announced as the first rapper with 30 solo songs over 100 million views on YouTube. Overall, his experimentation with different producers gives rise to a new chapter for the artist, while keeping his signature style. A solid rating of 9/10 for me for the Deshawn Mixtape. Read another article here.
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