DJ Drama never went away, but the enthusiastic, streetwise style he began establishing in the mid-2000s
Gangsta Grillz mixtape series reached new ears when
Tyler, The Creator applied
Drama's template to his chart-topping 2021 album
Call Me If You Get Lost.
Drama's output had been continuing more or less nonstop all along, but a new momentum can be felt on
I'm Really Like That, his seventh studio album and a showcase of literally dozens of top-tier rap stars. So many special guests stop by, in fact, that it would become exhausting to name the more than 30 rappers, vocalists, and large personalities who lend their talents to
Drama's slightly nostalgic but always powerful beats. The highlights are plentiful, beginning with
Tyler's emphatic solo verses on the drum-free intro cut "Legendary," right on into the heartstring-tugging piano loops and Auto-Tuned vocal performances by
Lil Baby and
A Boogie Wit da Hoodie on "HO4ME," the combination of light trap and booming West Coast rap styles from
Mozzy,
G Herbo, and
Vory on "Been a While," and a lively solo showing from
Jack Harlow on "Mockingbird Valley."
Drama flexes his mastery of multiple production styles, accomplishing the dual feat of blending his wide variety of sounds into a cohesive voice while also creating beats strong enough to stand as a contending force alongside the album's colossal cast of talented and successful players. ~ TiVo Staff