Pusha T, ‘My Name Is My Name’ – Album Review
There are some hip-hop albums that exist on a higher level. They're not just solid offerings, they're a lot more than that. Pusha T's 'My Name Is My Name' is one of those albums, and it stands out not only for its incredibly strong production and lyrics, but for the way it's crafted overall.
There are a few other hip-hop releases that have dropped this year that fall in the same category like Kanye West's 'Yeezus,' Jay Z's 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' and Drake's 'Nothing Was the Same.'
The producers on 'My Name Is My Name' consist of Swizz Beatz, Hudson Mohawke, The-Dream, Pharrell and Kanye for starters, and some of the features include Rick Ross, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz and Big Sean.
Throughout the album, listeners will be treated to some incredibly inventive production like on the Kanye-produced 'Pain,' featuring Future. On the cut, Mr. West uses an emotional piano riff and crashing snare drum to highlight Pusha's icy delivery, which is chock-full of memorable one-liners.
And on 'Sweet Serenade,' Pusha spits menacing words over faint choir voices that immediately suck you into what he's saying. On 'Hold On,' he and Rick Ross go back and forth with high-powered verses that come off flawless.
And the high quality of beats and rhymes continue on the cuts '40 Acres' and 'Numbers On the Boards.' The latter is one of the first singles from 'My Name Is My Name,' which is perfect, because it sums up what's special about Pusha T -- his ability to craft intelligent, abstract, street rhymes with great ease.
Think of 'My Name Is My Name' as being an artsier, higher-end version of what the Clipse have done together. You can thank Pusha's production team for that.
But not even an incredibly dope production team can make an album as good as 'My Name Is My Name,' without the centerpiece of Pusha T since you can really tell the guy wants every line to stand out. Like on the song 'Nosetalgia' for example where he spits drug-riddled rhymes. "Gemstar razor and a dinner plate / Arm and Hammer and a mason jar that's my dinner date / Then cracked the window in the kitchen let it ventilate / 'Cause I let it simmer on the stove like a minute steak," spits Pusha over an echoed electric guitar.
With only a couple more months left in 2013, it's likely that 'My Name Is My Name' will be among the top releases of the year, which says a lot if you consider the big albums and names that dropped in the last 10 months.
And as far as Pusha's overall profile, this album is likely to put him in another stratosphere altogether and make him more than just a rapper who spits about his drug-dealing past. This effort makes him look like a full-on musician and skilled writer, which is probably something he's been striving for.
Listen to Pusha T's 'My Name Is My Name' Album