The UK rapper is on the verge of breaking rap's matrix.
While not on the same level as his last project, Pink II, Lancey Foux's Friend or Foux lives up to the expectations of one of the UK's brightest young stars.
Despite having 20 songs, Foux manages to create a consistent feeling of what can best be described as futuristic dystopian rap.
At its best, the project sounds like what I imagine taking the blue pill in "The Matrix" feels like—new and experimental with no guess as to what will come next.
At its worst, the project sounds like how choosing the red pill likely feels—safe and predictable.
The project's single, "India", is the perfect summary of all things Foux does excellent with Friend or Foux; he switches back-and-forth between his normal delivery and an attention-grabbing high pitched delivery, he keeps the song short enough to keep the listener engaged, and he manages to touch on three of the main themes of the project: love versus lust, accepting death and embracing experiences(mostly, drug-related).
After listening to Pink II, my biggest takeaway was Foux's comparability to Young Thug in terms of you never know what you'll hear next.
One second they'll be melodically delivering the hook and the next second you're confused by a Mariah Carey-esque high note or a low octave Mr.T delivery. "Dream" by Foux and "Cartier Gucci Scarf" by Young Thug are the perfect examples of the similarity between the two artists.
Along with experimenting with his flow, Foux uses Friend or Foux to test the waters of his subject matter on multiple tracks.
The best example of the 23-year-old stepping outside of his content comfort zone comes on "Better Alone" when he covers topics like losing faith in God, choosing to not sell his soul, and he even touches on being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, as he raps "And if I was acting weird, it's 'cause something's wrong/Ain't even told my girl that I'm bipolar/Ain't even told my niggas that I'm bipolar/The day they put me to rest, nigga just ride for me."
Foux displays his full potential on tracks like "So Free", "Raining Red", "Life & Death" and "Ghetto Yout" when he pairs his unique sound with his personal experiences to create that blue pill feeling of something that has never been done before.
Apologies if you've never watched a second of "The Matrix" series and these analogies are doing nothing for you, but every responsible person should be familiar with The Matrix series, so the analogies are going to continue flowing.
Similar to how Neo initially denies Morpheus and almost chooses his normal life over the life that comes after taking the blue pill, Lancey Foux reverts back to the safety of features and routine deliveries and flows a few times on Friend or Foux.
No one watches "The Matrix" if Neo chooses the red pill, and the stardom of Lancey Foux doesn't shine if Lancey Foux chooses to follow the structure of other artists.
Foux seems to know his unconventional style is his strong suit, as he only bottles himself into a watered-down version of himself on three of the 20 songs—"So Psyked", "Where's Lancey" and "Right Now".
The only other negative of Friend or Foux is the time it takes for certain songs to actually start. "Ghetto Yout", "When I Call" and "Where's Lancey" each take over a minute before Foux begins doing anything meaningful.
Friend or Foux doesn't surpass Foux's last brilliant project, but it does show that Pink II was no fluke. Foux has the sound to be a truly transcendent artist between multiple demographics. If he fully embraces his sound rather than the sound of his peers, Lancey Foux could become one of the most influential UK rappers to ever do it.
Score: Young Keanu Reeves/10
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