Thread by @angelo_nie2, #SAVAGEMODE2 IS UPON US Welcome to my first listen reaction thread for [...]

#SAVAGEMODE2 IS UPON US

Welcome to my first listen reaction thread for the new 21 Savage x Metro Boomin album! The two have previously collabed on Without Warning (2017) and NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES (2018,) both great projects - this one's going to be good. | #VantMagReqs

#SAVAGEMODE2 IS UPON US Welcome to my first listen reaction thread for the new 21 Savage x Metro Boomin album! The two have previously collabed on Without Warning (2017) and NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES (2018,) both great projects - this one's going to be good. | #VantMagReqs

Intro is narrated by Morgan Freeman! His storytelling remains UNMATCHED

"Whether from a savage land or a booming metropolis
Whether they are two or two billion, the greatest their numbers could ever become, is to truly become one."

LET'S GO!!!

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Runnin opens with a Diana Ross sample and is carried by a signaturely SINISTER beat from Metro Boomin that 21 Savage effortlessly spits bars to.

Morgan Freeman also returns in the outro to usher us into the next track Glock in my Lap.

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Metro keeps up the atmosphere on Glock in my Lap. The beat is pretty simple, but creative use of strings and piano instills the horror vibes.

21 also notes a wide variety of personalities in the lyrics: Shaquille O'Neal, Elon Musk, and Chuck E. Cheese.

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Next up: Mr. Right Now.

A bit of a thematic detour. Drake and 21 take turns rapping about luxury for their significant others.

Hol up... did Drake just admit to dating SZA almost 12 years ago???

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Of course, Rich N_____ S___ is dedicated to the good life: fast cars, designer clothes, you know the vibe

The thematic detour we took last track turns into a full on swerve into an entirely new atmosphere. The synth and strings give an ethereal ambience.

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And we're back into haunted house-core on Slidin'. I swear man, the way Metro uses strings on his production... it hit DIFFERENT

21 also as evil as ever on the track. He got the Black AF1s, Chrome Hearts jeans, and extendo Glocks - do NOT cross him

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Morgan Freeman reminds us to stay on the edge of this double-edged sword called life before we head into the next track, Many Men.

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It interpolates the 50 Cent song of the same name, with 21 rapping about similar themes - violence follows him even at the top of his game.

Morgan Freeman narrates the outro, stating that the envy of others haunts 21. That very envy is the "downfall of many men."

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Now Playing: Snitches and Rats Interlude. Freeman breaks it down: "snitches" love to snoop for information to sell, but "rats" betray the trust of his team out of cowardice. The difference?

"At least a snitch is a human, but a rat is a f_____' rat, period."

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Either way, don't be one - 21 makes it clear what happens to them in the Young Nudy assisted track Snitches and Rats.

This is your daily reminder not to betray your friends since it gets seriously messy, if this song is anything to go by

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21 addresses various topics on My Dawg, but most notable was his arrest last year by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over visa issues. He makes it clear that none of that matters - he's just as lethal no matter where he was born and raised

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Metro and 21 go old school on Steppin on N_____. Everything screams 80s on this one: the disco dum pattern, the synth hits, even the record scratch outro. I guess it's not just Dua Lipa and The Weeknd on the retro hype train

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Savage raps about always being ready for heat on Brand New Draco. It doesn't matter where or when trouble finds him - he's got the strap on hand at all times

Just to note: this is the first time on the album that Metro's production gets kinda forgettable...

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No Opp Left Behind has 21 reiterate that he's not just rap - he'll make good on the violence when need be. Another Freeman outro reminds us that conflict distracts us from living life and leaves us with a suggestion:

"If possible, all enemies should be eliminated."

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Hol up isn't it a bit too early for sad homie hours

Rip Luv is dedicated to love lost and becoming jaded with romance. True love never dies, but lust and infatuation rarely survives, according to Freeman in the outro.

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And here we are at the final track: Said N Done.

21 asks in the chorus who your ride and die is. The answer, however, is yourself - in his final outro, Freeman reminds is it's ourselves with the power to control our destiny.

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He encourages to keep moving forward, and to stay in Savage Mode - anything else would "too damn civilized."

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And that concludes my first listen reaction livetweet! Definitely one of the best hip-hop projects this year, something that can only be done by the superduo that is 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. It kinda loses steam in the end, but a solid effort overall.

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To quote the internet's busiest music nerd: did you love it? Did you hate it? What would you rate it?

Please feel free to reply to any of the tweets in this thread! I would love to know your thoughts on this one. AOTY contender for me honestly

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