On his latest effort, the aptly titled Bang 3, how many times do you think the Chicago based rapper Chief Keef says the word “bang,” or the pluralized iteration—“bang bang?”
No. Really. I’m asking. I didn’t sit and count or anything. But I am curious to know. After all, it is the first word uttered on the album, and is used again, and again, and again throughout Bang 3’s 14 song run.
Up until I started listening to Keef’s latest effort, he had always been more of a caricature to me than anything else; meaning, I was aware of the idea of “Chief Keef” a sometimes rapper, walking meme, and possible hologram who spent a lot of time making headlines for his constant battles with the law. I think once, after reading about his track “Citgo” on Twitter, I tried listening to bits of his only major label effort thus far, Finally Rich, and between his gruff, shouty cadence, the somewhat mindless synth, and trap-style driven cacophony of his beats, and his penchant for weird, auto-tuned warbling…I just couldn’t do it.
Recently, I noticed that Keef had recorded a song that sampled John Waite’s unfuckwithable 80s standard “Missing You,” and I thought, “Well shit. If Chief Keef is going to sample a John Waite song, I should probably take a listen to it.”
The short answer is that not everything on Bang 3 is as remarkable of an accomplishment as Keef’s “Ain’t Missin’ You,” but maybe not everything needs to be as impressive or as important of a listen. Bang 3 is kind of like that big-budget summer action movie—you go into it knowing pretty much what is going to happen, and thankfully, there are a few surprises to keep you engaged through most if it.
Since this is my first experience with Keef’s music, I am not familiar with the previous Bang collections—but I don’t think you really need to listen to parts one or two for things to make sense. It’s by no means a perfect album, and it takes Keef a couple of songs to get warmed up completely; or rather, for you to get warmed up completely to Chief Keef’s delivery.
It also takes a few times through until you pick up on Keef’s sense of humor—the comic book name-dropper “Superheroes” is backed by a beat that absolutely crushes and a refrain that almost kills the momentum of the punch lines in each verse; later, on “Facts,” he references Nas’ role in Belly, and drops the throw away line, “It’s getting hot in here but I do not be with Nelly.”
It’s also unintentionally funny at times, like the ode to the stickiest of the icky, “I Just Wanna”: “I love money and THC,” Keef warbles out in all earnestness.
Please don’t make any mistakes about it—Bang 3 may be irreverent or clever at times, but it certainly isn’t a smart record, and I think it’s pretty upfront about that with how monotonous it can end up being.
Keef finds a formula, and he finds a formula that works for him, and then he sticks with it. And as catchy as some of these songs can inadvertently end up being, eventually it kind of all starts to sound the same, or at least sound similar enough that 14 songs is more than enough Keef to go around.
It seems worth noting at this point that there is, at least on my part, some confusion about the release of Bang 3. It was “leaked” three weeks ahead of the intended release date of August 18, and Keef took to Twitter making a comment about it being a “double CD,” which was never clarified—is there another 14 tracks sitting around somewhere? If so, why weren’t those released at the same time? Why can you buy this (14 track version) in the iTunes store right now?
These are questions that I am afraid Keef cannot answer. Perhaps he will only whisper, “Bang bang,” in response, anyway.
The real high point, of course, is the aforementioned “Ain’t Missin’ You,” a tribute to Keef’s slain friend Big Glo. It seems kind of, oh, I don’t know, in poor taste to write a song about your dead friend that uses gunshot noises within the beat—but what do I know?
Aside from that questionable move, the song is nothing short of a triumph. Jenn Em slays on singing the refrain—directly lifted from the John Waite original. The effect the song has, overall, is incredibly touching; it’s like an “I’ll Be Missing You” for millennials—meaning it’s slightly disorganized, and still feels volatile, just like the rest of everything in the Chief Keef canon.
It also sticks out like a sore thumb among the 13 other songs on Bang 3. Nothing comes close to matching the successful attempt at making a pure pop song.
In a summer that has been unfortunately weighed down by fabricated hip-hop beefs between Drake and Meek Mill, Bang 3 is a reminder of how mindless and fun the genre can be when it wants to. It’s by no means a permanent or urgent listen, but it’s a welcome distraction.
Bang bang.
Rating: 2.75 bangs out of 5 bangs
Bang 3 is out now via Film On Music.
http://www.chiefkeef.com/
Kevin also writes for the super excellent Anhedonic Headphones.