Playboi Carti – “Music”

Few artists have redefined modern rap the way Playboi Carti has. An enigma in both presence and sound, Carti’s influence stretches far beyond his own discography. His label, Opium, has set the blueprint for the ‘rage’ movement that now dominates underground and mainstream rap alike. After the release of Whole Lotta Red in 2020 – a project that initially divided fans but has since been hailed as a genre-defining moment – every rapper of his generation seemed to take a swing at making their own rage album. Even before that, Die Lit (2018) shaped the late 2010s trap sound, proving Carti’s foresight and adaptability.

Now, five years since Whole Lotta Red, Playboi Carti finally returns with Music. The road to this album has been anything but smooth. Originally slated for 2024, the album has had one of the most drawn-out rollouts in recent memory, marked by a series of cryptic singles branded with the signature ad-lib “2024 music” and an actual track titled 2024. Meanwhile, Opium’s rising stars (Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and Homixide Gang) have fully stepped into their roles, each borrowing elements from Carti’s sonic and aesthetic universe. Ken Carson, in particular, has carried the torch with A Great Chaos and its deluxe, giving fans a steady dose of that distorted, high-energy rage sound in Carti’s absence.

Despite Carti’s minimal solo output, his presence has loomed large through high-profile features on Utopia, We Don’t Trust You, and Hurry Up Tomorrow, offering glimpses of his evolving sound. But with his own labelmates outpacing him in releases, a prolonged three-year rollout, multiple false starts, and a cancelled tour, the question remains: was Music worth the wait?

Music isn’t just massive in anticipation or influence — it’s massive in sheer scale. With thirty tracks, it’s one of Carti’s longest projects to date. But before diving into the album’s full scope, let’s rewind and examine how much his sound has evolved since the original rollout. Out of the seven singles leading up to Music, only three actually made the final cut. And listening to them now, it’s hard to ignore a recurring feeling: this album, for the most part, sounds like it should have dropped a year ago.

The first of these, Kpop (formerly known as Ketamine), remains largely unchanged from its original release. It fully embraces Carti’s now-signature ‘deep voice’ inflection, a vocal technique that became a staple during his Narcissist era. This era – marked by a scrapped album, an abandoned clothing brand, and a cancelled tour – saw Carti experimenting heavily with guitar-driven beats, often previewing extended Narcissist-style intros during live performances. Kpop encapsulates that energy perfectly, blending rock-influenced production with raw, distorted vocals. It also delivers one of the album’s standout one-liners: “I just met Jesus, Christian Dior.”

The second single, Evil J0rdan, has undergone the most significant transformation. The final version includes an extended intro that first gained traction at Summer Smash 2024 and later exploded on TikTok. The instrumental remains as chaotic as ever, with Carti wielding his sinister deep voice before ramping up into an electrifying, high-energy flow. DJ Swamp Izzo, who has a looming presence throughout the album, amplifies the intensity, shouting “Carti, he’s coming, I am the music.” If you’re not a fan of his ad-libs, though, this could be a sticking point — his voice is omnipresent, much like DJ Drama’s narration on Tyler, The Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost.

Finally, HBA (formerly H00DBYAIR) remains one of the strongest cuts on the record. Once again, the deep voice is front and centre, suggesting that its dominance might have been a deciding factor in which singles made the final tracklist. But beyond the vocal inflection, HBA thrives on its eerie, unsettling beat — one of the darkest instrumentals Carti has ever rapped over. His cutthroat delivery reinforces the album’s despondent, nihilistic aura, especially when he nods to the original snippet Tundra, “All of my friends are dead, put ‘em in the cold, put ‘em in a tundra.”

Looking at the singles in retrospect, it’s clear that Music – at least in large part – feels like a project that should have arrived a year ago. Many tracks mirror the style and energy of songs Carti dropped in 2023 and 2024, making some moments feel almost outdated rather than groundbreaking. However, there are moments of brilliance — tracks that showcase a refined blend of all his past eras, merging his rawest, most experimental tendencies into something sharper and more fully realized.

With a massive thirty-track runtime, the record offers plenty to dissect — but instead of breaking down every moment, let’s get straight to the highlights. These are the tracks that left the biggest impact, whether through production, performances, or sheer unpredictability.

Pop Out immediately sets the tone for a new Carti era. Its distorted, nauseating beat is unlike anything else on the project, pushing the Narcissist and 2024 era sounds to their most extreme. It feels like an opening statement — Carti evolving once again. Crush boasts the best beat on the album, carrying an ethereal aura that makes it feel larger than life. However, it’s more build-up than payoff — Carti leans heavily on producer tags and ad-libs instead of rapping, making it feel somewhat incomplete. Still, the sheer intensity of the instrumental makes it a standout.

Mojo Jojo delivers one of the album’s most surreal moments: Kendrick Lamar acting as Carti’s hype man. The track plays out like a fever dream, with DJ Swamp Izzo and Carti’s ad-libs adding to the chaos. It’s an unexpected collaboration, but one that results in one of Music’s most high-energy moments. Rather Lie might be the best track on the album — or at the very least, the most structured and radio-ready. The Weeknd lays down a beautifully haunting hook, while Carti raps in his natural voice, something we haven’t heard consistently since Die Lit. This track feels like it could’ve seamlessly fit onto that 2018 project.

Jumpin reunites the 1629* duo, marking the first Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert collab since 2018. Unfortunately, Uzi’s verse is lifted from his Pink Tape era rather than being fresh, which makes the track feel slightly less special. Personally, I would’ve preferred Menage making the final cut instead, but the chemistry is still there. Cocaine Nose showcases my favorite Carti inflection — his raspy, murderous delivery reminiscent of Rockstar Made. The moment you hear F1lthy’s producer tag, you know the beat is going to be brutal, and this track does not disappoint. If Carti leaned into this voice more, it could become one of his most defining styles.

We Need All the Vibes is a pure summer anthem. Baby voice Carti makes his return alongside Young Thug, who sounds like he’s straight out of his So Much Fun era. Ty Dolla $ign also delivers a standout performance, elevating the track’s smooth, celebratory feel. Twin Trim is one of the most interesting cuts on Music — mainly because it’s just a Lil Uzi Vert song. Uzi is in full flow state here, delivering tight rapping and infectious melodies, but his presence on Carti’s long-awaited return feels odd. Still, it speaks to their bond that Uzi gets this kind of space on the project.

Like Weezy closes out the list with sheer chaos. Carti sounds completely unhinged, bouncing between different vocal inflections like he’s featuring on his own track. It’s one of the zaniest moments on the album, and a perfect display of his unpredictable energy.

For longtime Playboi Carti fans, Music offers plenty to love. He’s reached into his own vault, pulling from every era of his career and refining those styles giving us the sound of the record. This album feels like the culmination of everything he’s built up to — a grand showcase of his evolution.

But when it comes to influence, it’s harder to predict Music’s long-term impact. As mentioned before, the sounds explored here have already been circulating for the past year or two through the prolonged rollout and singles. The rap landscape has already absorbed and adapted these sonic ideas, meaning the album itself doesn’t feel like the next groundbreaking shift that Die Lit or Whole Lotta Red once were.

It’s also impossible to ignore how much the drawn-out rollout and Carti’s tendency to scrap projects may have dulled the impact. The constant delays, fake releases, and mismanagement took some of the magic away. But despite that, Music is still a great record — one with more hits than misses and plenty of iconic moments that remind us why his allure is so strong.

Fans are already dissecting his cryptic social media posts, with rumours of a second release on the horizon. If Carti can keep his word this time, it could be his chance to make up for lost momentum. 

So, was Music worth the five-year wait? For me, no. But if you haven’t been hanging on with bated breath to every rumour and fake leak, it’s absolutely worth checking out.