“UNLOCKED” by Denzel Curry

By Kinga Mozes

It’s undeniable that rapper Denzel Curry is one of the best lyricists of his time. On his new EP, “UNLOCKED,” his skill shines, and the influence of the Wu-Tang Clan and other old school rappers is present. Curry also sought approval from other artists like Madlib before he released the EP, and he received it.

Despite this, the EP did not do it for me. Although the sampling from the 1980s film “Shake Hands with Danger” is impressively layered, the beats are somewhat lackluster and don’t do Curry justice. The EP was assembled by Kenny Beats and Curry in a matter of days, and it shows in the production. It feels rushed and doesn’t match the raw emotion Curry brings to the EP, especially on the song “Take_it_back.” Curry references the Civil Rights movement, and the track doesn’t evolve further until a minute in. 

Each song is only a couple minutes long, which makes it difficult to add in beat drops and shifts, but it would be worth it to make this EP feel less choppy and more like a cohesive narrative.

Curry shows maturation from “TA13OO” to this EP, and one has to appreciate his willingness to take risks. “TA13OO” was an amazing album that many people loved; Curry used that momentum to challenge himself by not catering to a specific audience. “UNLOCKED” gives voice to all of Curry’s personas, which have been growing since he started writing poetry in elementary school.