#trade-l

[mondstalgia]

H1GHR really said oh, 2020 sucks you said? Let's bombard you with music to make you feel better and I AINT COMPLAINING

[jssicamandy]

Vibing this 

[k-reviews]

[ALBUM REVIEW] H1GHR MUSIC - RED TAPE

H1GHR Music’s first compilation album, ‘Red Tape’ is occasionally thrilling, but a largely inconsistent experience due some middling production and heavy compromises. 

5.0 out of 10

Considering the amount of talent Jay Park has amassed between his two mega labels, it was due time for a compilation album from at least one of them. Where credit is due, the rollout for the two H1GHR tapes has been from a promotional standpoint, immaculate; something that a lot of pop labels could learn from. ‘Red Tape’ is the first of the two being the more rap-centric half of the tapes. There are a lot of varied talents under H1GHR’s sizable roster, and ‘Red Tape’s ultimate becoming is not having the production to utilize them.

Compilation records are a tricky thing; it’s a tight-rope act, trying to balance the individual styles that each artists brings in a way that is complementary with just enough contrast to not feel like they’re clashing. H1GHR’s approach to this on the ‘Red Tape’ is to disappointingly opt for very skeletal, often flavorless production to provide a totally sanitary slate for the artists to rap and sing over. Given that the musical backdrop is often nothing much of interest throughout, the performers themselves don’t really have much to go off. The product is a large number of equally meek and forgettable performances over these bland instrumentals that fade from memory pretty much as the song plays out to the listener.

Cuts like ‘4eva’ and ‘Closed Case’ just take very surface level ideas of inspirations from their respective subgenres to create incredibly forgettable instrumentals. The verses on these tracks are just as hard to recollect, which is a shame considering the raw talent that some of the H1GHR acts have so clearly displayed in the past. Jay Park’s performance on ‘Check My Bio’ deserves its own spotlight as being not only the album’s worst performance, but also the worst performance Jay has turned in in his long career. On top of a grossly melded drill and EDM beat, Jay’s ‘English’ accent is borderline parody. 

There is however, a pretty solid EP mixed in between the tracklisting of ‘Red Tape’. ‘The Purge’ is the antithesis to the tape’s own shortcomings; the production is pulsating and also something entirely new for the H1GHR gang to flex their bars on. Haon’s calm, but surgically precise delivery cuts as sharp as the synthesized guitars and Woodie Gochild’s explosive energy is perfectly matched by the production. ‘The Purge’ is a smartly sequenced and propulsive track that radiates energy from start to finish. ‘DDDD Freestyle’ is a similarly excellent offering; it’s dynamic, synergetic and the younger cats of H1GHR demonstrate mic skill way beyond their years. It is good to see some state-side H1GHR representation on the tape with a remix of ‘Dance Like Jay Park’, now featuring the man himself. Ted Park kills the earworm hook with a lot of charm and finesse, and Jay’s verse is equally as animated. 

‘Red Tape’ is a slog of a compilation album, overstuffed with mediocre songs that offer little substance in both their production and performances. There are some great moments on the record, but they’re just as frequent as the more mundane ones. When the production allows, the talented cast of H1GHR really do go off, and when they do it’s electrifying to say the least. The ‘Red Tape’ could have either done with some significant trimming or with a more focused approach. 

Individual Track Scoring: [Click Keep Reading Below]

1. H1GHR 6.5 out of 10

2. Melanin Handsome 6.0 out of 10

3. How We Rock 4.0 out of 10

4. DDDD Freestyle 7.5 out of 10

5. 4eva 3.0 out of 10

6. Telefono Remix 7.0 out of 10

7. Closed Case 4.0 out of 10

8. World Domination 7.0 out of 10

9. The Purge 7.5 out of 10

10. No Rush 4.0 out of 10

11. Check My Bio 2.5 out of 10

12. Dance Like Jay Park Remix 7.0 out of 10

13. Team 5.5 out of 10

14. The Arrival 6.5 out of 10