“I’m tired of that shit,” is the first thing you hear Boogie say on his latest album. It works as a great opener for not only that track, but for the tone of the album as a whole. His debut, “Everything’s for Sale,” is a gloomy, raw and honest listen. He sticks to his introspection all throughout the album: On the opening track, he raps, “I’m tired of working at myself, I wanna be perfect already / I’m tired of the dating process, I wanna know what’s certain already.”
The Compton rapper has been on the rise in recent years, thanks to some well-received mixtapes that heightened his buzz. Things started to heat up for him when Eminem signed him to his label, Shady Records. On his previous tapes, Boogie was no stranger to introspection, but now he seems to be looking more inward on “Everything’s for Sale.” Don’t let this introspection fool you — Boogie is not your typical “conscious” rapper; there’s no special lesson or spiritual journey going on. It’s just Boogie and his often sullen thoughts about himself as an artist, as a partner and just as a person.
Boogie’s rapping isn’t the only thing that is put on display in the album. There are a couple of tracks where Boogie leans more on his melodies instead of his rapping capabilities. Standout tracks, such as the 6LACK-assisted “Skydive II,” show off Boogie’s raspy, yet soulful singing. 6LACK delivers on his feature, as does Eminem on “Rainy Days,” which has one of his better verses in a while, albeit some questionable lines. The production on the former track is beautiful and calm, as most of the album is, which is a nice contrast to Boogie’s more downer lyrics. The biggest example of this is the album closer, “Time,” with Snoh Aalegra. By casually listening, you wouldn’t realize it’s a song about a man confessing his lust and inability to actually be committed instead of just calling a woman for late-night hookups: “You tell me it ain’t right, though, I say it’s in your mind, but do it every time, though.” The sound is calming and somewhat endearing despite what he’s rapping about.
“Everything’s for Sale” never lets up its somewhat moody atmosphere and soulful, calming sound with a few exceptions, such as the aforementioned “Rainy Days.” Despite all this, Boogie is still very much the main draw for this album; his writing is charming and at times playful. He proves that he is versatile by offering a couple tracks where his singing takes center stage and shines. He covers his insecurities, fears and shortcomings without hesitation, which might be his best quality. Boogie has an endearing lack of concern for filtering the way he presents himself, and this album feels deeply personal and almost confessional. The title itself may suggest this as well: Everything’s for sale, meaning Boogie’s not holding back. He’s giving us all of it — the doubts, the pains, the failures.
In a current rap climate that seems to value honesty and authenticity less and less, Boogie stands out from the rest in his introduction to the big league of rap. I’ll give “Everything’s for Sale” a 7.5/10, a very solid debut that makes the listener want to come back for more. You can check it out on all music streaming platforms.