HALL OF FAME: POLO G, IS THIS ONE FOR THE BOOKS?
Since the release of his sophomore album The Goat, Polo G has been lowkey until the release of Hall Of Fame. Released on June 11th, Polo expressed that this album is his best work so far. Since its release, I have been hearing many positive and negative things about this album through social media. Will this project live of to its title? This is a review of Polo G’s Hall Of Fame.
In my review of Polo’s predecessor The Goat, I discuss the issues that I have seen with the project. This mainly includes flow and instrumentation. With this album, I hope to hear more unique instrumentals, fresh features, and broader productions. When looking at the cover, I wish he chose different artwork. I have disliked all 3 of his album cover arts. All three feel “amateur-like”. With the financial stability of an artist like himself, Polo’s cover art should never look this terrible. This is no disrespect to the artist, it’s my opinion. I think he could have had a contest for his cover art. On the other hand, I hope he keeps the same storytelling techniques that he utilized in Die a Legend and The Goat. I think Polo G is special because of his lyrical ability.
WHAT I LISTEN FOR IN PROJECTS
When listening to music, I listen for the vibe, lyrics, and production of the song, and as a listener, I expect artists to get out of their comfort zones and experiment. I will be discussing lyrics, production, features, sales, and I will give this project a rating, but, as with all art reviews, my review of Hall of Fame is based on personal opinion.
HALL OF FAME: POLO G: LYRICS
For this project, Polo G definitely kept the storytelling consistent throughout each of his projects. I think he mix storytelling with wordplay. I think this style definitely works for Polo. In this area, I don’t think he needs much to completely perfect his sound. I like that Polo G can rap, but he also has a colorful, melodic sound that many artists of his caliber may lack. I think this could be heard on Go Part 1 with G Herbo. Both artists have reached a point where they have mastered rap in terms of wordplay and storytelling. But on that song, in particular, Polo G also brings the vocals, which G Herbo rarely utilizes in his own discography. On Zooted Freestyle, I wish they actually finished the song, as it was really good. The song just abruptly stopped in a way. I do understand that it is a freestyle, but it was a very good freestyle. Other than that I really appreciate Polo’s storytelling and hope that he continues to utilize that tool to its advantage. Some of my favorite lyrics include:
*Presented by Genius and Lyric Find*
Make sure that grass low, keep your pole and always watch for snakes
Be careful who you trust, ’cause they’ll cross you like Tim Hardaway- Polo G on Black Hearted
Tell me what it is, we ain’t duckin’ smoke, we ain’t scared
He reach for his Carti’, it’s gon’ be a whole lot of red
Time to kill ’em all, I been in mode, I ain’t playin’- Polo G on Go Pt. 2
Devil don’t care ’bout your innocence, you will get lured
I might have a bed made in Hell for these new sins
I can’t say I’m sorry ’bout some shit that I’m gon’ do again- Polo G on Zooted freestyle
MY FAVORITE SONGS
- Zooted Freestyle
- Painting Pictures
- So Real
- Bloody Canvas
LEAST FAVORITE SONGS
- For the Love of New York (This song wasn’t really bad, but more so different and unique.)
HALL OF FAME: PRODUCTION
For this project, I think the production is more diverse. I think Polo is experimenting more with different sounds, while also staying true to the sounds that he began with. I hope to one day hear a completely unique project. The production on this album derived from producers like Taz Taylor, Lil Mosey, Nick Mira, etc. This production is definitely a step up from The Goat. I hope he continues to experiment, as he may find a sound that works best for him. I like how they utilized tempo sound effects on Party Freestyle. While it kept the tempo of the song, it also was implemented rhythmically. I think one of the most unique tracks on this project was For the Love of New York. The sound was more R&B and features Nicki Minaj. It wasn’t a bad song, but it was unique when I initially heard it. According to Who Sampled, this project also includes very few samples. Sonically speaking, the overall sound consisted of pianos and guitars. This project also implemented unique flares of different genres in music.
9/10
HALL OF FAME: POLO G: FEATURES
This project features the likes of The Kid Laroi, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, G Herbo, Rod Wave, Scorey, Da Baby, Roddy Ricch, Nicki Minaj, Young Thug Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign. To begin, The Kid Laroi gave a good hook for the song No Return, along with a nice verse from Lil Durk. Being the greatest rapper of the 21st century, it was a no-brainer that Lil Wayne created an excellent verse on Gang Gang. G Herbo always provides a lyrically aggressive verse on Go Part 1. I really enjoyed Rod Wave as a feature on Heart of a Giant. He showed that he can actually rap, but he also mixed in his southern vocals with his rap. Scorey verse was good. Da Baby’s verse on Party lyfe consists of a unique flow that can’t be heard within his own discography. I really like Roddy Ricch feature on the song Fame and Riches, I think this song was unique to Polo G, but was really fitting for Roddy. I felt the same with the song For the Love of New York, featuring Nicki Minaj. This song was really unorthodox for Polo G’s sound. I think she may be able to guide him into different types of productions and genres. I appreciate Young Thug as an artist and the guidance he has within the music industry. In the song Losses, he describes a rag to riches story. Pop Smoke and Fivio brought the song clueless to life. With their eccentric energy, Clueless is bound to be a dance/ hype anthem.
10/10
SALES, RATINGS, AND OVERALL REVIEW
According to Hot New Hip Hop, Hall of Fame was initially projected to sell 165- 175,000 units, but after the criticism of his audience, it actually sold 135,000 units. I think this project shows more diversity and experimentation in Polo’s sound. I like that his fans can see the progress he has made between Die A Legend, The Goat, and finally, Hall of Fame. I think he just needed to find which sounds work for him the best. He knows what tracks are safe for his style. I think this project is a mix of his piano/ guitar sound, but more unique sounds that don’t correlate with trap elements. I hope he finds the right person who can guide his sound if he intends on expanding to other genres like the track For the Love of New York, or Fame and Riches.
Overall, this project lives up to its name. It deserved the number one spot in the Billboard 200. The features fit well on this project and I like that Polo is experimenting more with production. I think it is a step in the right direction for Polo’s sound. In the future, I would like to hear a completely unique overall tracklist, but I do appreciate his experimentation on Hall of Fame. Compared to the billboard runner-up Culture 3, I think this project was better sonically. For the Migos, this is terrible as they have been in the music industry longer, and with 3 brains, I would think they would be smarter about how they prepared their albums. There is also more to discuss with this project in comparison to Culture 3. To conclude, I like that Polo G is experimenting, especially of his versatility in his vocals. He could go in many directions, but I think he has to find the right instrumentals and guidance. This project could have easily been a rap/trap-oriented project, but he chose many left-field sounds, which I enjoyed.
9/10
Haven’t heard this album? Click Here to Listen!!!
Vendetta Sports Media is sponsored by Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest-growing DFS site in the industry. MKF’s unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. Use our promo code ‘VENDETTA’ or use the link below to get a 100% instant match on any deposit and let them know that we sent you! Signup Now!
