Album Review: Westside Boogie – “More Black Superheroes”

Westside Boogie – “More Black Super Heroes” – Album Review 

Artist: Westside Boogie
Album: More Black Superheroes
Release date: June 17, 2022
Label: Shady Records
Genre: Hiphop/Rap
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐✪☆ 8.5/10

Westside Boogie is an American rapper, songwriter, and Shady artist. Born as Anthony Dixon in 1990 in Compton, California. His sound is a product of his Westcoast roots. However, he’s known to be influenced by artists such as Jay-Z, Nas, and Lupe Fiasco, just to name a few. Boogie started rhyming words at the age of only 15 years old. Later on, he would attempt to balance his academic studies while honing his craft as an MC. It wasn’t until 2014 before Boogie started seeing any kind of recognition. It was in 2017 when he finally joined the Shady Records family and released his label debut “Everything’s For Sale” in 2019.

I wasn’t familiar with Boogie until he made his Eminem Connection in the late 2010s. Admittedly, I was very skeptical of him at first. He seemed like a strikingly odd artist to join Shady. I pegged Boogie as more of a Trap style, vibe focused artist. However, I couldn’t help but get filled with cautious excitement as we got closer to “Everything’s For Sale.” It turns out Boogie fits in just fine. Needless to say, I’ve been a big fan of him since, and now I anticipate everything he touches!

1. KILLA MODE 

Boogie opens the album with a very “I’m Done Giving Any Kind Of F*ck” tone, specifically when it comes to romantic relationships. It’s obvious he’s been burned before, and he’s letting us know he won’t be burned again. He’s showing us how he’s growing out of dating immature women as he gets older. “Showing you love, it ain’t playing it smart Covered in blood while I’m hanging with sharks”. 

2. STUCK 

This track is portraying the internal struggle Boogie’s having with rising into fame without being able to let go of habits he developed during his rough upbringing. There’s 2 sides to the token tough. He doesn’t want to forget who he is, even if he doesn’t have to live that life anymore. The haunting production adds layers to Boogie’s punchy, introspective lyrics. With this track, Boogie is also doing a great job exploring the nuances of struggling with communication in a relationship. When every line is telling the listener at least 2 things, it’s creating a much stronger narrative. It’s storytelling 101. Despite the fairly heavy subject matter, “STUCK” is still a banger due to the sharp piano loop and Boogie’s charismatic flow. The depth, vulnerabilities, and honesty create a lot of replay value for fans, while the production should provide multiple listens if you’re throwing this into a playlist. 

3. NONCHALANT (Ft. Mamii) 

“NONCHALANT” is easily one of the most sonically pleasing and addictive tracks on the album. The softer production helps to showcase Boogie’s impressive lyrical ability and smooth flow. With the beat being so laid-back, I can’t help but be reminded of his California roots. It also provides a perfect backdrop for him to effortlessly deliver emotional verses while painting a vivid picture. The song’s hook is provided by the gifted Mamii, who adds soulfulness to the track, balancing out Boogie’s somewhat raspy vocals. She’s the sweet to his salty. The two artists together add a unique dynamic to the song’s overall sound. This is the kind of track that I could imagine playing in the background of a summer night’s porch-lit dinner while on vacation. 

4. LOLSMH II

With this track, Boogie is expressing his frustration with being a person who has a lot of people who depend on him. He’s doing everything he can to keep up his Superman image. The problem is that even superheroes sometimes need saving. I think it’s a metaphor for the idea that you shouldn’t bottle up your pain and try to pretend it’s not there. If you can never vent to anyone, you’re going to blow up eventually. Boogie is hitting us once again with that signature punctual flow with controlled aggression. As the track starts taking a darker turn, the beat switches, and so does Boogie’s Psyche. Calling back to that same “I’m Done Giving a F*ck” attitude, Boogie snaps and starts getting everything off his chest as he peels back painful truths. From here, we get some incredibly unvarnished glimpses into some of his darker thoughts and fears. I highly recommend this one for fans of good old-fashioned beat switches and authentic stories.

5. CAN’T EVEN LIE (Featuring Soulja Boy)

I can’t even lie, I’m really confused as to why Souja Boy; of all people, is featured in the middle of a relationship track on a Boogie album. The track is exploring the complex art of being a womanizer by default, but ironically wanting a serious relationship. It’s not possible, and while Boogie understands that, he’s not sure how to correct it. Honestly, this track feels a little bit like filler to me. Boogie only has 1 verse. The hook is pretty repetitive, and Souja Boy (yes, really) is giving a passable yet vague verse. We had enough relationship tracks on the album already, I’m not sure why this unfinished feeling, hallow cut, was left in the mix. Overall, it’s a decent track with nothing offensively wrong with it. It’s just the weakest of the mix so far.

6. PRIDEFUL II 

This was the first track I heard from the album. It’s the big lead single that blew up, rightfully. Without hearing the album, this comes off as a really slick, smooth banger. It’s a really easy earworm that you can mix into just about any playlist. It’s probably the most accessible track on the album. Once you hear the track within the context of the album, though, it actually makes more sense. It shows him in a confident stance but in a much more self-respectful way. It continues to stick closely to the album’s theme.

7. AIGHT 

This is a track that casual listeners probably heard first. It’s the one that gets the most radio play, but that doesn’t mean it’s a hip-pop; far from it. It gets played on the cool radio stations. That said, the beat is addictively catchy, complimented by a  somewhat sinister backdrop. As far as the album goes so far, the lyrics are pretty straightforward here. Boogie is just acknowledging the fact that he’s a rising star and he’s here to stay. This shows a strong level of ambition, especially for a relatively laid-back track. Whether someone enjoys this track or not will depend on if they’re cool with a simplified single right in the middle of the tracklist. 

8. CAN’T GET OVER YOU (Featuring Smino & Teego Touchdown)

I can’t get over the strings that Boogie keeps adding into these songs! Boogie opens up with some sort of whispery singing that’s been filtered through some sort of rebar effect. It totally works for the emotional point he appears to be going for. It’s another breakup song with delightfully somber production. The overall atmosphere is pretty melancholic yet somehow uplifting in a strange way. I’m sure most people can relate to the feeling of trying to get over an ex-partner. There’s a lot of emotions, but eventually, you’ll probably see the silver linings in the situation. 

9. RATCHET BOOGIE (INTERLUDE) 

Coming off the last track, this one perfectly portrays the feeling once you’ve been able to climb back up after a bad breakup. There’s definitely some “I Didn’t Need That B*tch Anyway” energy here. The lyrics are rapid-fire and confident for the short duration of the interlude. This is Boogie at his most self-respectful. You can almost hear the smile on his face once he lets everything go.

10. SOMETHIN STRANGE (Featuring Kalan.Fr.Fr & Mamii)

The cohesiveness from track to track on this album is impressive. Once again, this track spins off the previous one and maintains a similar but different enough sound. It opens up almost Gospelly. Boogie’s echoey singing is angelic and super sunny. Unfortunately, this is the first track where I think the feature makes it worse. KalanFr.Fr’s trappy, mumbling, verse really didn’t match this track sonically at all. There’s a time and a place for new-age trap flows, but it’s not here. It’s like somebody accidentally turned the angelic hip-hop choir station off and switched it to the generic new-school station. Thankfully, that only lasts about 30 seconds before switching back to Boogie.

11. WINDOWS DOWN (Featuring Snoop Dogg)

If I said this track started with the lyrics “Roll The Windows Down, So Much Smoke, Let It All Roll Out,” who would you think is featured? You guessed it, Boogie said the right words to summon our Lord And Ganja Savoir, Snoop Dogg. Starting with Boogie, I think you might actually be getting his best verse on this track. He puts everything he has into it by relying on a dynamic flow and confident lyrics. It comes together so defiantly and sets the stage perfectly for Snoop to jump in. Snoop gives one of his best verses in a long time, too! We’re getting that classic chill Snoop delivery, but he also switches his flow a few times pretty effortlessly. Put Snoop on a juicy beat and make Marijuana the subject, then you’ve got the recipe for a hit. If the track didn’t do enough already, there’s a crazy beat switch towards the end. Boogie comes back one more time for an anxiety driven, panicky verse that leads to either a figurative or metaphorical crash. This is easily one of the best tracks on the album. 

12. ANTHONY (WAR) 

As we get to the closing track, it’s important to look back at everything we’ve heard so far. The album began in a very dark, even mean-spirited mindset. As we get further along, Boogie goes through a lot of internal self-growth and finding himself. Just as he begins to accept himself and see things in a positive light, things are interrupted by a soul-crushing car crash. This “ANTHONY (WAR)” track is very cleverly mirroring everything we’ve heard so far. Admirably, it’s once again cohesively picking up where the previous track left off. It’s a realistic representation of a person slipping back into their old habits due to old mental scars. A great day can be interrupted by an unexpected car crash. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

Since Boogie’s 2019 album “Everything’s For Sale,” he’s really shown a massive amount of growth in not just his rapping but a newfound creativity in crafting a cohesive project. Front to back, the entire “More Black Superheroes” album sticks to a very tight concept. Aside from a few weak features here and there, everything fits perfectly together in a precise order. Boogie has shown that honesty is a superpower that can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s a dangerous tool in the wrong hands. This album is a lesson about being true to yourself and true to others. Don’t try to be the hero if you can’t get past your own demons.

Written by CeaTee Reviews

Instagram @CeaTee_Reviews