Two projects in, Polo G is starting to sound like a modern-day Tupac.
Before I get stoned for blasphemy, read this excerpt from a Polo G interview:
When asked "what would you do if you could be anywhere with anyone doing anything," in an interview with Pigeons and Planes, Polo G answered, " I'd be in the studio with Tupac right now. We don't even gotta rap he can just lecture me. I got an obsession with him."
Keep that obsession in mind when I say Polo G is the closest modern-day rapper to Tupac.
No, he doesn't have the flow or iconic delivery of Tupac, but he carries the trait that kept Pac a cultural icon decades later—a trait that many rappers have tried and failed to produce. Like Tupac, Polo G has the gift to rap about hard-to-grasp concepts and struggles without sounding corny or going overheads.
It's a fine line that even the best of rappers struggle to balance.
For example, rappers like J.Cole and Wale have tried to spread knowledge through their music since their first projects, but a few message-heavy songs caused some listeners to label them boring or corny for years. And I still believe only 50% of listeners actually know what Kendrick Lamar was rapping about on To Pimp a Butterfly.
Polo G doesn't have these problems because, like the legend he's obsessed with, he combines his traumatic experiences with the production and street lyrics fans already love, so his messages are easy to grasp and naturally blend in with the music.
Polo G's debut album Die a Legend was impressive enough to earn a spot in the SoundSports Top-25 Projects of 2019, but that happened almost off potential alone.
On "Heartless" he raps, "Ballin' hard, young legend out the Chi, bitch I'm like D. Rose."
Playing off his own comparison, Polo G's debut album was a lot like Derrick Rose's playoff debut—not the most refined, but you could tell something special was coming.
The Goat isn't special enough to be compared to Rose's MVP season, but it does build off a successful debut and display clear growth, earning it the comparison of Rose's second season in the league—one in which he improved in every major statistic.
Throughout his second studio album, Polo G builds off his own experiences by combining it with some of the best characteristics from other Chicago rappers like G Herbo and Lil Durk.
He borrows Lil Durk's title of the voice of love in the streets with standout tracks like "Martin & Gina" and "Beautiful Pain(Losin' My Mind)". Neither are as good as Durk's love efforts, but they do prove Polo G is capable of making respectable songs that blend love with hard lyrics.
Another element that makes Polo G and The Goat standout is his G Herbo-like ability to convey pain throughout the project. "I Know" and "Trials & Tribulations" are the best examples, as he raps, "Nobody love you 'til you dead, that's when they might care," to cap off the hook of the former.
But, as impressive as his ability to pull off the style of other Chicago rappers is, Polo G shines the brightest when he shares his observations to teach a Pac-like message.
For example, on "Relentless" he raps lines like " Ever since I made a play, been tryna educate my brothers, Heaven ain't the only way we can escape up out the gutter," and "Stressin' while I'm dreamin', I keep getting sleep paralysis, G.O.A.T.-ed like I'm Pac, go from a gangster to an activist."
If you're still not sold on the Polo G to Tupac relationship after Polo G himself fanboyed over Pac in an interview and literally pointed out the relationship in a verse, "Wishing For A Hero" is my last piece of evidence to justify the bold comparison. Polo G ambitiously samples Tupac's "Changes" to speak on heavy topics like police brutality and oppression.
Despite being only the second "Highly Recommend" of the year, The Goat isn't a perfect album.
It's clear Polo G has made a major stride in between his debut and sophomore studio albums, but as mentioned earlier, he's not at the MVP season stage yet.
One of the most glaring examples is on "DND" when he forces the simile, "like taco night, we leave them shells inside your stomach." Weak lines the above are rare on the project, as they're only noticeable on "DND" and "Chinatown", but they show one of the few areas where The Goat could have been better.
The only other real negative comes on "Chinatown" when Polo G takes away from one of the best hooks on the album by delivering rushed, sloppy verses. The second verse sounds like it stops before Polo G was even done rapping. This could have been a poor choice of production or poor delivery from Polo G; either way, the track is a rare step back.
Final Score: Low-to-Mid 8/10
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