DENZEL CURRY- ZUU REVIEW

'Even though I don't really like trap, Denzel Curry can spit better than the average artist of the sub-genre and I respect that.' 

The above quote is something I wrote a few years ago in a previous blog post when he was featured in the XXL Freshman list. The Miami rapper dropped ZUU on May 31st and was met with critical acclaim.
The album title is a nickname for Denzel's hometown of Carol City and he stated on Twitter that ZUU was 'all Miami'. This is evident from the fact that all but one of the features are Miami-based to even skits like YOO which gives an insight on how some Miami people roll. 

The production is handled predominantly by FnZ who featured prominently on Denzel's previous album Ta13oo. As expected from a trap artist, the beats are gassed from start to finish. Even WISH which initially sounded like it was gonna be a tune for the ladies with the 80's soul sample turned out to be a beat for the streets with the thumpin' bassline and vicious verses. RICKY, BIRDZ, stripclub track SHAKE 88 and P.A.T. were standouts for me. SHAKE 88 had that Back That Azz Up feel to it while the latter sounded like a tune for the moshpits. Miami must be lively AF based on ZUU.

'Lets start it over
I, a Jehovah
Come take a look at my city and its culture
City full of vultures, city full of zo's
City full of gangsters, that's sticking to the code
Everybody thinking they know me, for real?
'Cause they only see me on the poster, for real
Don't test my dogs, they got holsters, for real
Fuck a pop tart, we carry toasters, for real' BIRDZ

Given that Denzel declared that ZUU was 'all Miami', it makes sense that the album kicks off with the self-explanatory title track opening up with '305, we in the house'. As shown in the verse above, the bars tend to have some connection to the Miami life whether it be about family (RICKY), the murder of friend and Miami native XXXTentacion (SPEEDBOAT), local haters (AUTOMATIC) or Miami's famous nightlife scene (SHAKE 88). 
   As I stated earlier, Denzel Curry spits better than the average trap artist and he displays his lyrical prowess throughout. He had some good content (AUTOMATIC being a standout) and dropped some decent similes but for me personally, I was most impressed with his use of internal rhyming and his flow's dope. One possible gripe for some listeners is that his verses are quite short. The average verse from Denzel is normally around 8-12 bars instead of the traditional 16. I doubt however that the average trap fan cares about bars so that shouldn't be an issue.



This 12 track album is just under 30 minutes. Short and straight to the point. I don't even like trap and I f wit this so trap fans will probably love this. I'll give this a 7.5.

FAVES
Verse- AUTOMATIC verse 2
Beat- RICKY
Track- BUSHY B INTERLUDE