Millyz - Blanco IV (Album)
How many great lyricists do we know have come out of Massachusetts? I can’t think of anybody other than Millyz so forgive me if I should know more but as of late, he’s definitely been one of the best if not the best to come out that city. Clearly a cemented lyricist in the game if you weren’t already familiar with his work, particularly his freestyle work you can find all over people’s platforms like Funk Flex & Sway. His “Blanco” series is a fan favorite amongst fans clearly, considering this is now the 4th installment, as to whether it’s the best, only time will surmise but he definitely continues to craft bar heavy anthems like clockwork. What I love the most about these projects is that, it’s mostly him we get to hear, not that it’s a bad thing to hear him with other MC’s but he can more than stand firmly on his own.
Opening up with the soulful “Trap Pacino”, Millyz reflects back on his struggles to get to this point, he just continues to elevate in life due to his confidence & determination. Being the only white boy in his neighborhood, he had to & though he says he grew up knocking Eminem, he’s in no way an imitation, which I love that he states that off rip cause I can’t stand that whole white rapper stigma, they clearly have had two different experiences in life so you can’t compare the two solely off skin color, in my opinion. He & Jadakiss then offer hope to the “Hopeless”, if they could make it out of their situations in life then so can you but it’s going to take everything you’ve got in order to overcome. Asian Doll then slides through on the portentous banger “Fish Tank” which finds both MC’s splashing listeners with a tidal wavy sound that’s absolutely drowning out the haters.
I love hearing Millyz on his thug thizzle when he’s going through the “Phases” cause he raps with this nonchalant conviction that’s very at ease yet still raw in a way I can’t really explain, I think it’s just the way he carries himself as a respectable man, which if you are one, you’re also a force to be reckoned with in one way or another, he’s just one in multiple areas of his life, not just as a fierce lyricist. He & G Herbo are intelligent enough to have learned to manage their “Emotions” & express them in a healthy way like music as opposed to acting on them like I’m sure they’ve done plenty in their past. He even gets Benny The Butcher back on some trap shit with “Benny Blanco”, beautifully titled by the way, a sound that I love hearing Benny over, a sound you can find him on with a lot of his older work.
Millyz then calls on Jazzy Amra for the poignantly subtle love ballad “Trust Me”, I love when rappers do these vulnerable R&B records & we even get put onto a new songstress who absolutely does her thing on this record, it’s modernist but still feels nostalgic. I too tend to wake up in “Cold Sweats”, my anxiety just gets the better of me so imagine how much it would’ve gotten him with everything that he’s detailing here. Whether it’s club shit you’re looking for with Millyz, “Off White Sweater”, “Duffle”, soulful testimonials, “Invisible”, “Sharks” or introspection, “Lost Innocence”, “R.L.S.”, Millyz has a little something for everybody to enjoy with his music & he shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.