MR. MIDNIGHT X LARRY JUNE X CARDO

And we are back with third official review! For our previous review of YBN Cordae’s The Lost Boy, click here. As promised, the below are our metrics for our reviews. 

FEEL- What type of feelings do the music invoke? What does it make you want to do?

LYRICS- Are there bars?

PRODUCTION- Does the artist ride the beats? Does their cadence match the production? Does the production fit well with the project?

OVERALL- How many tracks to we like compared to the number of tracks on the project?

Feel free to use the above for your own reference as you go through the music and let us know what you think! 

LARRY JUNE X CARDO; “MR. MIDNIGHT”

Release Date: June 29^th, 2019

Number of Tracks: 10

Duration: 28 min

Favorite Track: “Organic Mud,” Larry June X Cardo

Once again the underground rapper Curren$y can be held responsible for the discovery of yet another artist. Larry, first introduced on Curren$y’s FIRE IN THE CLOUDS MIXTAPE on the song “Payscale,” delivered the hottest verse on the tape. Using his tag, “Thank you- You doing good,” he quickly caught the attention of one Oracle Rap Reviews editor. And when he dropped his project, “Early Bird,” shortly thereafter, I was all ears. And while “Early Bird,” is a great project in its own right. It did not ride a smoothly as “Mr. Midnight.” This is in part due to the fact that the project is produced exclusively by the old Taylor Gang alum, Cardo, one of our favorite producers of all time. And while it is clear that Larry June does have talent, Cardo is the star of the project.

While I consider myself a rap purist, I always tend to lean towards the smoother spectrum of rap, whereas trap or violent, aggressive rap can be found on the other spectrum. Part of that is because I work hard, and usually want to relax when I am finished with my work for the day. “Mr. Midnight,” provides the tracks to do just that, from start to finish. Thanks to the tunes of Larry June and Cardo, I found it very easy to get into my zone and relax. And by the end of this review, I think the reader should be able to as well. 

Feel

A sense of calm is the general feeling of the album, and while Cardo is largely responsible for this, Larry June himself does an excellent job in his own right. When I first heard “Mr. Midnight,” it put me on a beach- and I cannot even swim. All I had at that beach was time, a few drinks, that album, and absolutely no worries. The tandem made it easy to sit back, relax, and ride the waves. The album makes us feel the joy in music that we find in its purest form. From the keys to the hooks, and from the flow to the cadence, this project provides a soundtrack to relax to. 

Lyrics

Likely the weakest part of the album, Larry June does not rap about anything noteworthy. His content can be a little jarring at times, as he often talks about making his own orange juice, or his exclusive smoothie line that he created himself. This of course, was only a minor annoyance, as I was really hoping that he would give me a little insight as to how he became a rapper, or perhaps how he found himself such a prominent figure in the smoothie industry. As for features, he boasts only Jay Worthy, and the afore mentioned Curren$y himself. These are artists that are all familiar with each other, and Cardo as well. Hence, the album rides in a way that makes the lyrics not overly important. Still yet, we were able to track down a few of our favorites like:

“Askin me questions like, “June where the Beam at?

“Okay you bought the AMG I seen that”

And I don’t even trap no mo, this all rap

Everything a nigga talk about is fact.” – Larry June, “Organic Mud.”

“You can’t help until you help yourself

Being rich ain’t always about wealth

It was days I didn’t have much

But I’m thankful cuz it made me humble.” – Larry June, “Mr. Midnight.”

Production

Cardo is absolutely vintage on the production, so much so, that he really is the star of the project. In my opinion, he is a first ballot hall of famer when it is all said and done, and his name deserves to come up on those greatest of all time lists. I got the feeling that all Larry June had to do, was ride the beats, but this can be easier said than done. Larry rode the beats perfectly, providing a soundtrack to smooth, if there ever was one. His flow was relaxed enough to match the beats, but his cadence was refined enough to ride the wave. The production here was done the best I have seen in a long time, with every key seemingly right on time. Cardo knew exactly when to start the hook, drop the beat, and fade certain aspects in a way that was deserving of all the afore mentioned accolades. 

Overall

Mr. Midnight is a project that really makes me remember why I love rap music. So many different feelings and emotions can be evoked by music, and in my opinion, there are none better than those that are smooth. This project is so smooth, that it will likely go in Cardo’s greatest hits, and will propel Larry June from an underground rapper, to a well-known one. Their chemistry on the project was seemingly effortless. Unfortunately, knowing Cardo’s pedigree, it is exactly what we would expect from him, which at times can overshadow just how good of a job that Larry June did. This project has been passed around to all of my friends, and finally, we can all agree on the success of a project. And while not a single track feels out of place, the content can be a bit repetitive, and can sometimes feel out of place in the world of rap. Nevertheless, Mr. Midnight can be played from front to back without skipping a track. Continual plays however, will allow for the listener to find one or two tracks they may not prefer, thus ending in a final score of 9 out of 10. 

Good Job Larry.

-        The Oracle

 Edited By: MJG Story Creation