Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats - "UNLOCKED" Album Review
UNLOCKED is a hip hop record that pulls inspiration from all past eras of the genre, but somehow feels futuristic and, dare I say, revolutionary.
Looking and Denzel and Kenny's catalogues individually (Kenny's grimy, barebones trap beats for artists like Rico Nasty and Vince Staples, and Denzel's smooth-tongued bars hitting hard over bassy, in-your-face instrumentals), one might not think these two would could make an album like the one we got with UNLOCKED, and it's that unexpected magic that makes it all the better to listen to and watch unfold.
Denzel's high energy rhymes pair perfectly with the bizarre sampling and crunchy drums Kenny supplies throughout the album. The instrumentals change so frequently, with instruments dropping out to make room for new ones, or the beat changing up completely, as if Kenny is adapting to Denzel's flow changes and various vocal styles in real time. Kenny's use of vintage dialogue that sounds like something out of Hitchcock film, like on the haunting "Track 01" or the funky "Track07", gives the album a nostalgic edge.
Throughout the album, Denzel channels the aggressive energies of various 90s rappers, including DMX on "DIET_", and Wu Tang's ODB on "'Cosmic'.m4a". He also mixes in his own signature quirkiness with his witty wordplay and clever references, from Mario, Thanos, Star Wars, and more. Even though most of his lyrics are fairly boastful, these two characteristics make each instance of a brag feel welcomed and deserved, as he does it in such a different way compared to most arrogant rappers.
The album's length leaves you wanting more. Each track feels like it goes by in an instant, but doesn't overstay its welcome at the same time. Combined with the brief in-between scenes found in the album's accompanying short film, UNLOCKED doesn't exceed the length of your average cartoon show episode.
Speaking of, the short film for this album exemplifies the chemistry between Denzel and Kenny even more, having the two be stuck on a virtual adventure to retrieve the album's songs before they leak on the internet. The different aesthetics compared to the slapstick hijinks make for an engaging audiovisual experience that had me smiling from ear to ear all the way through.
This is an artist-producer collaborative tape done in a way nobody's ever done it before. While its inspirations are varied and worn on its sleeve, it still shines like a diamond in the rough as one of the most unique and cohesive releases I've heard in a long time.
