Released November 18th, 2022
Written by Ryan Henderson
Opinion Before Listening:
This is my first time hearing the name Kay Bandz! So before hopping right into the album I like to get a taste of what the artist is about! I decided to listen to the top 5 tracks on his Spotify that weren’t on the project. So that only ended up being NHN and Ridin’ Thru The City. Since I was left wanting a bit more I decided I’ll check his first project he’s ever dropped. This is so I can see what growth Kay Bandz made since the start of his career.
His first album ‘Drugz’ released in 2017 had a crazy surprise on the track list! Renowned rap star Gunna is featured on Kay Bandz‘ first official album release! I originally thought it was before Gunna had a lot of clout but at this time Gunna already worked with Young Thug, Offset, Playboi Carti, and many other titans of the current rap game. The album was great and Kay Bandz really meshed well with every feature! Gunna was definitely the biggest highlight but Kay Bandz and Boogz compliment each other insanely well!
Now that I have just a grasp on what Kay Bandz is like as an artist I think it’s time for me to dive into the album!
Tracklist Ranking:
#1: ‘Benz Coupe’ – 9.3/10
#2: ‘Home Alone’ – 9/10
#3: ‘Neck On Freeze’ – 8.8/10
#4: ‘Own It’ – 8.6/10
#5: ‘Static’ – 8.5/10
#6: ‘C-Notes’ – 8.3/10
#7: ‘I Swear’ – 8.2/10
#8: ‘You Can Tell’ – 8.1/10
#9: ‘Don’t Lie’ – 8/10
#10: ‘Switch Locations’ – 7.9/10
#11: ‘Out The Mud’ – 7.7/10
#12: ‘Tell Me Why’ – 7.5/10
#13: ‘150’ – 7.4/10
#14: ‘Trenches’ – 7.2/10
#15: ‘Mind Right Interlude’ – 6.8/10
#16: ‘Intro’ – 6.6/10
#17: ‘Hard Times’ – 6.3/10
Top 5 Tracks Based On Performance
(trying to analyze bars, singing, and energy put into the music alongside the beat.)
#1 Benz Coupe: The melodic flow on this amazing party beat is meant for the club and has to get you hyped, I don’t care who you are. Kay Bandz keeps it extremely entertaining by Constantly switching his flow through this short track! Making me put this on replay over and over again! This was such an impressive track showing me Kay Bandz is capable of so much more than I expected. His talent is extreme and how he’s not mainstream already is astonishing me as I listen! “Man all this game is fufu, I just need a plug like lulu, getting gwalla like I’m used to.” He’s definitely not saying anything crazy but this flow switch is one of a few that keeps this track so interesting since it’s always changing! Kay Bandz made something unreal with this beat!
#2 Home Alone: “I don’t know who to trust, I don’t know who to love, I don’t know who be real anymore, I don’t know who to call, I don’t know who to talk to, I don’t know anymore.” Kay Bandz is using this track to get all of this off his chest. If it wasn’t said in his chill melodic tone you could take this nearly exact quote from myself when I’m spiralling out having a panic attack. It really connected me with Kay Bandz feeling like he’s someone who could at least understand those feelings from experiencing them himself. It’s such an extreme feeling that brings you to these thoughts and it’s scary to get pushed to that point! I hope Kay Bandz is doing okay! “I be so paranoid there’s dope in the floor, the plug keep calling, he say he got more, we went through the load and we bought the whole store” Kay Bandz is trapping so much he’s got the dope hidden everywhere that there’s even “dope in the floor”. The ending of this quote brings it all together. Kay Bandz already has too much but when the plug is calling he can’t control himself and ends up buying a whole new stashes worth. There’s obviously storytelling to rap but if this is true the drug world is a scary environment to be around. I hope Kay Bandz stays safe to keep bringing us this heat!
#3 Neck On Freeze: “Cop me a car you think I’m gonna cop me a new audemar, I just bought a chain, could’ve bought a car” Kay Bandz absolutely flexing on us in this track and rightly so with such a title! Got himself a car and spent just as much on a chain! And even talking about an audemar is crazy when the cheapest watch clocks in at $20K USD! (Which happens to be the cost of his pinky ring!) Kay Bandz is doing it right and he’s letting us know about it! “All this ice you try and reach for some you might lose your life” This has become something that’s just known with rappers. You don’t go for their jewelry or it’s gonna cost your life. That’s big money and no one is playing around with stealing that especially with the added disrespect of trying to take it right off them. It’ll be a sad day for someone.
#4 Own It: “They never seen what I’ve seen, y’all don’t know where I came from, everybody round me on some, everybody round me want some.” Kay Bandz is tired of the judgement he receives because of how much he’s really doing compared to all the others in his hometown! He wasn’t supposed to make it here. Everybody surrounding him is addicted to something and looking for handouts while he’s becoming a self made man. “I never fold, everything on me is gold, I’m never selling my soul, bitch I own it” Talking about being self made! Kay Bandz will never compromise himself because he knows he’s destined to make it. “I don’t lease bitch I own it” he doesn’t flex the cheap way. Anything he’s showing off is rightfully his and he’s proud of that! Think of his success as motivation that it’s an option instead of getting jealous!
#5 Static: The chorus of this track is unreal, even though it’s just repeating “when I die” the emotion and the way he’s singing it makes it the absolute highlight of this track. Also whatever he’s saying in between sounds unreal even though it’s almost gibberish. The high pitch tones are so pleasing on the ears. “The mob gon ride for me they gon kill for me, if they don’t find you they gon slide and kill your family” Absolutely horrible but the reality of what happens when it comes to these high tension clashes. This is a tragic strategy Learnt from the most dangerous and powerful ‘gangs’ of all time. The cartels and mafias of the world would always do this and even way more extreme homicidal acts that are too brutal to even discuss.
Overall Rating Of The Album: 7.9/10
Kay Bandz is someone we’re really gonna focus on because he’s one of many artists that just don’t have enough eyes on them yet. His talent is so far above his recogniton!
There were only 3 features leaving Kay Bandz almost solely responsible for this amazing project Charge It To The Game. Unfortunately there was one feature who was clearly lacking or just didn’t bring the right energy to collab with Kay Bandz. I found Portion’s section in ‘Out The Mud’ I never heard him before but if that’s his usual vocals I don’t see a very bright future on these beats. Kay bandz was so impressive on this album he’s definitely become a statement in my playlists! His lyrical capability doesn’t keep him trapped doing specifically melodic flows even though that’s where Kay Bandz is making his money. Kay Bandz is a very complete artist who just needs a chance and he’s gonna explode onto the map.
Check out ‘Charge It To The Game’ for yourself and form your own opinion!
