Young M.A – Red Flu
Young M.A is the latest artist to drop music to get isolated fans through these quarantine times. She told Complex that her seven-track EP, Red Flu, is meant to ease some of the frustration people may be feeling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While her intent is admirable, the project itself is plagued by run-of-the-mill production and uninspired lyricism.
“I’m tired of flexin’ on ‘em, it’s exhausting,” Young M.A confesses on the opening cut, “Dripset.” The bar is one of the most genuine moments on an EP that’s otherwise bogged down by repetitive boasting. M.A has long since made it clear that she likes to party, hustles hard and will steal your girl, often all in the same night. But, simplistic lyrics such as “‘Cause I’ma go hard anyway or any day/Man I’m a trapper, I’m in trappin’ mode” on “Savage Mode” provide for a painfully bland listen.
Rappers such as The Game and Jeezy have stretched well-worn themes into entire careers by way of fresh concepts. However, M.A’s packaging of her flexing is almost entirely devoid of creativity. Even the song titles – “Savage Mode,” “Bad Bitch Anthem,” and “2020 Vision” – betray a record filled with sentiments of the most basic kind.
The production is similarly ho-hum. M.A. comes close to a gem with “Quarantine Party,” as she impressively paints a picture of the kind of wild celebrity party you read about on a Reddit thread. And yet, the trap beat backing her bars goes in circles, failing to give the lyrics the oomph they need to turn this into a smash. The production on “Trap or Cap” is more menacing, but still fails to provide the appropriate bite it seems M.A was going for.
