Chris Brown & Young Thug - Slime & B (Mixtape Review)

Two of pop culture's biggest stars, Chris Brown and Young Thug decided to drop a mixtape out of nowhere for whatever reason titled 'Slime & B'. This seems really random, but with two big names attached to it, expectations were high going into it - despite the fact I had a bad feeling. Into the actual review starting where we always do - the R&B and trap infused production. Overall, the production is alright on this but what holds it back is a lot of generic sounding beats, or elements of the beats which can make a song a bit boring - but it's actually both the main artists who do a good enough job with their melodies to save some of the songs. The main ingredients of the instrumentals include: trap elements (such as 808s, hi-hats), party vibes and a lot of guitar-based beats. Lyrically, it's very basic. The things Chris Brown says are both boring and basic - but it's his voice which is the main attraction of his anyway, as usual is great, but sometimes despite the vocals when he sings it doesn't sound catchy which can be an issue sometimes on here. Young Thug has some funny lines throughout this project, but not nearly as much as you'd expect from him and overall his lyrics are a bit bland too. However, as a whole his melodies and the range of melodies he has are enjoyable throughout the mixtape. The features are from who you'd expect on a project with these two, but that doesn't always work to their advantage. There were some good features, but the majority were pretty poor features who offered nothing. My advice, stop featuring Gunna - and twice at that. Content wise it's what you'd expect from a patry-style album: sex, drugs and flexing. That is pretty much what every track is about - and it is fit to purpose for the type of music they are looking to make, it's just not very interesting when looking at it as a whole.

Say You Love Me

We make a good start to this tracklist, being introduced to a pretty generic but vibey beat as the artists talk on sex with women. Young Thug on the hook sounds great with his melodies, and both artists had decent verses but it was Thug who stole the show on this track.

Go Crazy

This is a great track, despite the basic lyricism for the rappers they again talk on sex with women on a harder, more vibier beats with hard 808s rather than generic ones. Chris Brown absolutely kills the hook on this one with his vocals, which are actually really catchy with such emotion packed behind it.

Trap Back

'Trap Back' focuses once again on sex and drugs over a deep synth base and a guitar-based beat, which isn't very interesting to me. Thug's verse was disappointing, Chris Brown was basic and the feature Major Nine carried the track with the hook, a fast paced hook which made it quite catchy.

I Got Time

We're starting to take a minor nose dive here, with again a pretty generic guitar string-based beat as the pair talk on a female in their lives. Chris Brown was pretty generic, the feature Shad da God didn't say anything interesting and sounded like a Thug rip off - but it was Thug the man himself who saved the track really with some funny lines and some on point melodies.

She Bumped Her Head

This track is a no. Lazy, generic 808s and a boring beat with generic lyrics from the artists - including a monotone and uninteresting Gunna feature (his flow was decent I'll give him that). The track had the generic topics of flexing and shooting people up, and the hook was just tedious as was the song. Thug's delivery in the first verse sounded weird and like his mouth wasn't fully open. I lost interest early and it wasn't helped with Chris Brown's awful line, "I feel like Kurt Cobain, hit your brain with the shotgun".

Big Slimes

Things pick up a bit with this song, but it's nothing more than decent. The guitar-based beat again is pretty generic, and another boring Gunna feature comes and goes but the two main artists save this track - and I love the hook - especially the harmonsing at the part, "You talkin' to the big slime". Other than that, the other feature Lil Duke just sounded like a BTEC Future and had some pretty basic lyrics.

I Ain't Trying

The lowkey, guitar beat on this one is alright and it does enough to keep you interested but I can't say it enjoyable. It's a love song, but Thugger and Chris Brown don't say anything clever or hard hitting to make this song vivid or relatable.

Animal

Finally, we reach the best song of the mixtape which is 'Animal'. The gloomy, explosive beat is great as the artists talk on the usual topics of girls, partying and drugs. The hook builds up to an almighty climax with is explosive and catchy, while Chris Brown has his own go at rapping - sounding decent in the process, and Thug's flow and ability to glide the beat on the verse is ear candy. A great song.

City Girls

'City Girls' is a good song, with a more sunny-spring feel to it. They talk about touring different cities and finding different girls, giving us a great fuse of both trap and R&B and another catchy hook. Despite the positives, Chris Brown was pretty boring and although Young Thug had some good lines, he also had some bad lines that made no sense, "Is you in this picture? I don't see nothin' but you, baby".

Stolen

This track has a more dark tone to it, as they talk on trying to get back together the pieces of their heart - but there's much to say on this one it's just boring. I'm not sure why there's so many verses either, and that hook is a cheap attempt at hitting the radio in my opinion (or at least it sounds like it).

Undrunk

Another huge banger of the mixtape, with catchy 808s and party vibes, 'Undrunk' goes crazy. The lyrics really suit the theme of the song well (which is about getting too drunk and having sex with girls). Chris Brown's verse is meh - but his hook is great and gets stuck in your head. E-40's verse went hard - but he had a comical delivery giving it some humour while the other feature, Too $hort, rode the beat well with some funny lines, "I got her playin' with her pussy in the VIP".

No Such Thing

We finish on a short but sweet song. It has its issues, mainly the feature Hoody Baby who wasn't very entertaining and a generic beat, but Chris Brown's party were catchy and he carried this track into the good section to be honest.

To conclude, this album was definitely a grower. There a few great tracks on this, but also some mid to maybe boring songs too - but it was more enjoyable than it was tiring. Another issue you probably have heard me mention a lot is sometimes it feels a bit generic. For all my issues though, the two artists do blend well together, and the fuse of their genres work - both performed to a similar level as each other.

FAVOURITE TRACKS: Say You Love Me, Go Crazy, Big Slimes, Animal, City Girls

LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: I Ain't Tryin'

OVERALL RATING: Solid 6/10

*REVISED SCORE: Review may not match favourite tracks and overall rating because I've since re-listened and changed my score.*