On October 2, the super duo of Metro Boomin and 21 Savage returned with a fierce album “Savage Mode II.” This is their third album working together, the other two being “Without Warning” and “Savage Mode.” 

Metro Boomin is arguably one of the best producers of all time with other popular works, such as “Ric Flair Drip” and “X.” 21 Savage is also one of the top rappers in the game right now, with popular songs being “Can’t Leave Without It” and “No Heart” (which was also produced by Metro Boomin). They came with the same savage intent on this album, as they promised, with narration by Morgan Freeman in between songs. Since “Savage Mode” did so well, people had high hopes for the sequel. With all of the world’s expectations on their back, 21 Savage and Metro Boomin performed with little downfalls evident in this record. The LP includes 15 tracks with three features, each on a different song.

The album opens up with “Intro” where Morgan Freeman introduces the two artists and the album, which uses rough background music with piano tones and a synthesizer. The track really sets the tone for the rest of the album, promising to bring some strong hits. The song fades right into the second song, “Runnin,” which features a sample from Diana Ross’ “I Thought It Took a Little Time.” The music and lyrics juxtapose the sample with a hard bassline and rugged lyrics from 21 Savage and it is a great beginning for the rest of the LP. The song ends with an illuminating quote from Morgan Freeman.

The song transitions right into another menacing melody with the third song, “Glock In My Lap.” This song will probably be the most popular song on the album with its grimy lyrics and elite beat. The next song, “Mr. Right Now,” is a more of a pop-rap song with a feature from Drake but fails to live up to the potential the song had. The hook is catchy and the beat is excellent, however, the verses by 21 Savage and Drake were both clichés with nothing new. The next song, “Rich N**** Sh*t” features Young Thug and takes a slower and more romantic approach. The song shows Metro Boomin’s versatility as a producer, with a more R&B type beat that incorporates symphonic strings, rather than his more usual trap type of beat. 

The fifth song, “Slidin” returns to the tough lyrics and adlibs that we’re accustomed to from 21 Savage. The song includes a more uptempo beat with a strong bassline. The song ends with another quote from Morgan Freeman introducing the next song, “Many Men.” It is undoubtedly my favorite on the album. It incorporates refreshing and rigorous lyrics from 21 Savage and a sample from 50 Cent’s song of the same name. Even though the song features another trap beat, it has a unique sound that combines both old and new aspects into it. The song ends with an enlightening quote by Morgan Freeman concluding the song. This song displays the best in both artists, spanning from lyrics to production. 

The next track is “Snitches & Rats (Interlude)” which features an informative lecture by Morgan Freeman on the difference between snitches and rats, which is what the next song is about. The track fades right into the eighth song, “Snitches & Rats,” that comes with another crazy, speaker pounding beat and even more filthy lyrics from 21 Savage and an energizing feature from rising rapper Young Nudy. It’s another hit that will be very popular in the future. After the next track, “My Dawg,” 21 Savage addresses his past, his relationships and his lifestyle. He uses this song as a statement to say that he is one of the hardest rappers out right now. This song is one of Metro’s more basic beats but it’s still an enjoyable product. The next song, “Steppin On N*****” features a retro beat sampled from “Everlasting Bass” by Rodney O and Joe Cooley. This song displays the versatility of both artists and has a catchy hook. 

The 12th song, “Brand New Draco,” shows another unique beat by Metro Boomin with symphonic strings, a powerful bassline and quirky synthesizers. 21 adds some more of his customary adlibs and aggressive lyrics. This song definitely has the potential to be one of the more popular songs on the album. It transitions into my second favorite song, “No Opp Left Behind.” It reminds me of the original “Savage Mode” with lyrics and music that gives a nostalgic feeling of the first album of this series. The next two songs, “RIP Luv” and “Said N Done” rap up the LP with two melodic tracks and give a great ending to a well-rounded album. Both songs have to do with loyalty and love and end with monologues from Morgan Freeman that teach you how to grow as a person. These songs exhibit some of 21 Savage’s best lyrics, and they’re very relatable. 

The elite team of 21 Savage and Metro Boomin returned to bless the ears of the world, and they succeeded. Although it isn’t as good as the first one, it is definitely one of the better albums this year. It’s a strong 8/10 with the only lowlights being troubles in the hook writing, 21 Savage’s tendency for his flow to be too lax in some areas, and an underwhelming feature by Drake. The production on this album was top tier, which was expected from top-five-all-time producer Metro Boomin. It’s always exhilarating hearing a Metro Boomin and 21 Savage collab.