Kevin McGee - Comeback Kev (Album)
I can’t possibly be the only one yelling “Comeback Kev” but I will say that I am the loudest being that I had the privilege of hearing the beautiful structuring of all these gorgeous singles he’s been blessing us with before many who, may have forgotten just how powerful his output has been leading up to this project. I really appreciate how he went about this project cause I don’t see anybody going about it the way he did, gathering up every last single he’s been dropping & then piecing it together in a way different way than they were released initially, not to mention the press run that, if I’m not mistaken, he’s still on, well obviously cause this project is too timeless to not continue pushing long after it’s seeped into our cerebellums. We’ll be going track by track with this review cause there’s a lot to unpack with every single so let’s kick in those doors cause Kev is back!
“Self Investment”
If you’ve been following Kev & didn’t snag your self investment tee then, I don’t know what to tell you but if you got it, throw it on upon jumping into this one. I love these soul samples in DillyGotItBumpin’s production, it’s a beautiful way to start the project for intros are so important & it’s so crucial to execute them & Kev has done so here. Taking us through how he spent the last decade doing so much for others but hardly for himself & after not having that energy reciprocated, finally decided to invest in himself & I’m sure those people are sitting back wishing they never flipped on him like those leaves in the wind. But for those who have stuck with him in the journey, are surely benefiting off of it & I don’t necessarily mean financially, I mean personally cause he’s teaching his people, especially in that second verse, that they can do it too if they got enough determination to do so hopefully those people from his past are heeding the free gems he’s just tossing out.
“Drama”
The contrast off rip is immaculate, just that juxtaposition of both sides of him cause with all the success he’s garnered over time, I’m sure a lot more “Drama” has found its way to him & he just ain’t having it so if they want the smoke then they gonna get it. Ain’t it funny how people always try to test those with utmost humility? It’s like, he’s doing all he can to stay that way but people just like to come at you with their own bullshit cause I guess they’re just jealous that he’s surpassed them, rather than being happy & proud of him leading the way for them, that fucking crab in the bucket mentality & honestly, he don’t even need to entertain that drama but he’s only human so I don’t blame him if it irks him to the point he feels the need to address it & so sternly at that in the way he just commands this track to demand his respect be given.
“Break The Lock”
Kev is detailing how he had to break the lock out of that personal prison of his that he had been trapped in for quite some time. It’s so unfortunate cause I can completely relate. It’s not always easy being in a group with other people cause, they might not always have the same vision as you, plus egos tend to interfere with all the good that it could be. It’s sad to see that he was a victim of that but although he still has a chip on his shoulder about it, being that they probably still look at him as the villain without knowing that, maybe if they stopped pointing the finger at him as if he’s responsible for their lethargy & misfortune due to their laziness, he’d still help them cause it’s still all love but they’ve forced his hand to make that love as tough as this record is. Hopefully they heed it.
“SOPU”
It’s only right to have the hometown homage to Houston just to further emphasize how much of a Texas boy he is at heart, being that everything else on this record doesn’t really indicate those roots as much as “SOPU” does. Not to mention the Pimp C homage, which he shared with me, I don’t even know if I should say this but I will cause I find it hilarious, his girl had to ask why he felt the need to say those iconic opening lines to that Pimp C classic, to which he responded, like I’m sure a lot of us would, we got to baby & that’s not verbatim but you get the gist, insert incessant laughter. It’s always tricky when flipping classic records cause you don’t wanna disrespect that artist’s legacy but he & My’Key effortlessly execute it & are so nonchalant with their comfort in doing so, as exemplified in the visuals for this record.
“POP”
What’s one thing you’ve noticed so far upon diving back into these singles? I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed, every last one of these records so far just has this anthemic feel to them. On “POP” though, Kev channels that inner gutter that’s still within him to pop his shit off, so much so that the whole block gotta be shut down for the entire upcoming summer. It’s nice to be humble but people just love to get shit confused like he won’t pop off on them if necessary. Gibbo’s production on here so subtly feels like his popping people’s balloons repeatedly, as well as Kev with every last bar he’s firing off here, more sharper than those needles for these pricks who pretend like they ain’t sweltering over the heat he continues to bring down on them.
“Show Love”
On “Show Love”, Kev extends his appreciation towards those who’ve continuously shown him the love he so deserves. It’s beautiful when your family is proud of what you do, especially music cause I know I haven’t always gotten that love from those I hoped would show it. A lot of artists are in this game for several different reasons, none of which I have anything against but if you’re just being selfish about your success & not utilizing it to help your loved ones then I don’t really understand your purpose. Kev doesn’t strike me as someone who would solely bask in his success alone & that’s made very clear on this record and although they haven’t even hit the tip of the iceberg yet, they’ve earned some celebrating.
“Wait On It”
Again with these soul samples & Kev with the inspirational lyricism that motivates people like who are in dire need of it. Finding success, especially in this business, can be such a tiring & tedious task & it’s so easy to grow impatient waiting for this shit to pop off but it’s crucial that you don’t become discouraged if this shit doesn’t happen overnight or even over the span of a few years. As Kev drops a few examples of success stories, we’re reminded that, everybody reaches their peak at different points, some in their 20’s, some later than that, you just never know what is ordained by God but it’s important you maintain your faith & just wait on it, it’ll happen if you want it to but don’t wait around doing nothing, that is not the message Kev is getting across, clearly.
“Back In The Game”
As many highs as Kev has had in his emotional musical journey, he’s had just as many lows but as the previous track stated, he maintained his patience throughout all his turmoil cause he knew he would a find a way to persevere through it all & now look, he’s got his head “Back In The Game”, as do I cause I must say life can really life on you, shit is trifling but Kev stood tall through it all & so should we. bvtman’s production on here really capture that halftime show type feel & I don’t even watch sports like that, matter of fact not at all but I appreciate how much that production brings out the ankle breaker in Kev cause clearly he has that 24/7 tenacity about his craft as his favorite athletes have to their particular sport.
“Get It”
Do you be getting it cause Kev & Highstrung be getting it & if you ain’t with it then you can get it! It’s such a simple record but it just gets you riled up like you’re at a pep rally, cheering on your favorite team & these two just keep hitting them baskets, swish swish swish before every buzzer beater. It may be the most simplistic hook to any song I’ve ever heard but he’s so great a lyricist that he can still manage to do so much with so little & not to mention his references & with throughout the verse that only brings a scathing verse from Highstrung. It’s like Kev is giving him that alley oop, he’s catching that ball & slamming it in that net with a dunk so powerful, that whole backboard is crashing down by the end of this one.
“Double Up”
Even after the game is over, Kev is already training to “Double Up” that skill of us for the next game. I swear, if the NBA doesn’t catch wind of these last 3 songs & play them at their games, I’m gonna scream cause these past 3 singles at the very least deserve to be a part of possibly the next 2K game to come out. Kev is such a beast when it comes to these anthems cause not only are they brash but, they have the power motivate, can you imagine how much you’d be lifting in the gym with this record blaring through your headphones? NetuH production on here is the hardest on the entire project in my opinion, it just has this reigning feel to it but it doesn’t overpower Kev’s messages throughout, he cuts through it effortlessly.
“So Close”
The sequencing of this project is so gorgeous. The contrast in tonality from the opening record to now is powerful & while the opener was more hopeful, this is more of a wind down, a chance for him to reflect on how far he’s come & just how much further he has to go, he’s so close to those goals he keeps setting for himself the second he finishes the first set. It’s been no easy task but he stays putting in that hard work, even if it’s not as appreciated as he feels it should be, he never loses sight of those goals that are as lambent as that light at the end of the tunnel most of us just turn around on & give up trying to reach but he encourages us to continue down that path, no matter how scary it can be & only once you get out of that tunnel, can you come back & give back to those who are still in the tunnel & hopefully persuade them to follow him back outside of it. A beautiful way to close his magnum opus here & you’ll be thrilled to know that, there might be a bonus single coming sometime soon with a very special feature on it, I don’t know though, that’s just what I heard through the grapevine but I’d keep my eyes peeled for that.