Gunna - a Gift & a Curse ALBUM REVIEW
This is the Fourth Studio Album from Atlanta trap mainstay and newly controversial figure, Gunna.
I’m going to be 100% honest and transparent in this review and say off the bat that I am a Gunna fan, a huge one at that, and I can’t help but be extremely biased towards his music. This review has 0% chance of being negative.
Gunna has been coming under a lot of fire recently since he took a plea deal so get out of jail, which has branded him as a snitch in the eyes of the white suburban gangsters on hip hop twitter who have never experienced any court cases or gang related activities in their lives. People are also commenting on this album saying that Gunna made a bad decision by deciding to “Face the music” and actually address the accusations against him on this album, which I heavily disagree with. At the end of the day, if the man needs to get some shit off his chest then he should be able to use his platform to do that. That’s the last I’ll speak of the content matter, just know that I enjoy a lot of the lyrics on here.
bread & butter was the single released a couple of weeks before the release and it was a statement song and a great one at that, saying “fuck them boys I found out who my real partners, and who was only with me when I had dollars” in a really catchy hook, backed by a really emotional and introspective instrumental, the bassline is something out of a boom bap track, but paired with those 808s that Trap is known for it creates a unique blend. I didn’t need any promotion to be excited for a Gunna album but this single definitely further enhanced the anticipation.
The intro feels similar to bread & butter but has more of a menacing feel to it, as if the beat is whispering “i’m back” in your ear. Gunna’s hook is great and the beat is surprisingly unique, there’s no booming 808s like you find in 99% of Gunna songs, but instead a consistent bassline throughout. The electric guitar is a vibe also. That same electric guitar comments applies to the next track, back to the moon, which is an absolute stunner of a track, Gunna flexes his always incredible flow to the absolute maximum here over a fast paced yet nostalgic beat, wailing electric guitar and godly background vocals deliver the perfect mood for a Gunna banger and his vocal delivery does not disappoint. We get 2 back to back slower tracks, idk nomore being a relaxing cut with another great hook and a decent bit of vocal variation from Gunna over this darker instrumental. This track is followed by paybach which is probably the most cliche emotional trap beat on the record, but the Gunna flow on the verses and once again the hook is there which makes the track memorable. I love the little flow switch to the more melodic rapping/singing in the second half of the first verse specifically, it makes the track feel a bit more cute and slightly relatable I suppose. ca$h $hit is a classic flexing Gunna banger with a luscious beat and a sticky flow from Gunna once again. The hit (or as it seems) from this record is up next, fukumean, which has a brilliant sample flip with the ee-yeah and group vocalled FUCK YOU MEAN every now and then are absolutely fantastic and so catchy, they bring so much life to the song which is disregarding what is also a fantastic beat and one of the smoothest, catchiest flows from Gunna on the whole record. This track transitions seemlessly into rodeo dr which has more of a rage inspired beat, another great and memorable hook and some decent verses from Gunna. Not the best the album has to offer but still a fun moment. bottom has a really great groaning bassline and a nice bit of violin (from what I can hear) throughout the verses. The hook shows Gunna’s best melodic performance on the record so far and once again his flow is fire on both verses here. p angels is the most lowkey delivery on the album, Gunna’s flow is so memorable with these stutters and hesitations, it’s so great and these unconventional 808 hits in the beat are quite refreshing. born rich has been the most divisive track in terms of the online debating, but I quite like it. The beat is summery and delightful and Gunna’s singing, in my opinion, is at least passable. I don’t think the yeah-yeah-yeah-yeahs exactly sound amazing but I think the one wish repetitions leading into the hook are really well placed and memorable. That and the beat as well as pretty good verses leave the track with a good opinion in my books. turned your back is probably my least favourite track on the record, on this one Gunna’s singing is a bit frustrating at times and the moaning on the hook is a bit jarring. However, he does say the most important shit on this track in comparison to the rest of the tracks here. i was just thinking is a weirdly loud performance from Gunna on his verses, maybe due to poor mixing, but that is made up for with the really lovely guitar in the beat, the hard hitting 808s and a really great, more aggressive flow than most of the tracks in the second half of this album. alright is as you would expect from an album like this, a more emotional send off as he explains to the listeners, and maybe the people that care about him too, that everything is going to be alright. He’s been through a lot of tough days in the last year but he’s out and he’s still delivering music to the highest level. So I think he’s correct in that statement. I love that he shouts out YSL at the end as well. A really nice touch.
As expected with a Gunna album these days, I loved it so much and I can’t wait to spend many more hours with this record. I think he blends the bangers with the sad and emotional cuts really well and gives everybody what they’d want from Gunna. I like both styles but if you prefer melodic Gunna, you can eat up a good 3/5 of this album and be delighted with it. the other 40% of the album is there for the people desperate for fun trap bangers, as Gunna definitely delivers on that front too. I just hope that the whole Young Thug situation gets resolved soon and then we may see the entire internet switch up once they see support for Gunna from Thug. Let’s just wait and see. But “snitch” or “no snitch” he’s making great music to my ears so I really don’t care. Thanks Gunna.
I’m feeling a Strong 8.