Denzel Curry Channels Jazz, 90’s Hip-Hop on Latest Album

“Melt My Eyez See Your Future” marks a tonal shift in both writing and production for Curry

Playing on elements of trap and punk rap, Florida rapper Denzel Curry has stood as an artist at the forefront of his niche since the release of his first mixtape in 2011 and his first studio album in 2013.

Curry has capitalized on the transition from hip-hop and rap throughout the 2010s. As popular subgenres like trap and cloud rap have burst into the mainstream (even though trap had been an influential sound since the 90s in Atlanta, GA), Curry has kept his sound fresh and interesting.

Curry’s most widely known work is his distorted, anthemic choruses coupled with heavy 808s like those on “Ultimate” and “Clout Cobain.” But now, the release of Curry’s new LP, “Melt My Eyez See Your Future,” sees the 27 year old venture into a new aesthetic. This new album offers a space of introspective, brooding lyrics, representative of an overall tonal shift in Curry’s artistic vision. “MMESYF” features elements of jazz-infused production reminiscent of  ‘80s and ‘90s hip-hop like acclaimed group “A Tribe Called Quest.” 

The mood is set on the very first track with “Melt Session #1,” where Curry calls upon jazz piano legend Robert Glasper, whose melodic chord progression and tasteful flourishes establish a clear sonic \vision for the 13 tracks to come. In a similar fashion, many of the beats throughout the rest of the album feature glimmering vintage samples and the familiar vinyl crackle of hip-hop hits from decades past. 

Placed on top of these smooth, nostalgic beats is Curry’s nonstop lyricism. While not every song follows the same subject matter, Curry delivers reflective yet urgent writing that touches on his upbringing, regrets and struggles. Take second track, “Walking,” for example: 

“I been runnin' all my life, that's way before my life begun / Since my birth and seconds on Earth, I been the first one to confront / All of these cycles that get recycled, makin' it stifle while I stunt / Roll me a blunt so I forget it”

One of the other central themes involves Curry ruminating on other rap legends that didn’t make it to his current age of 27. This recognition of mortality shows up all throughout the record, though most directly on “X-Wing:”

“Mac ain't make it to twenty-seven / Pac ain't make it to twenty-six / Big' ain't make it to twenty-five / It's only right that I gotta get rich”

These lyrical shifts offer a deep, detailed look into Curry’s thoughts and feelings, an artistic choice that was not as often used in his previous records—especially those that became his most popular.

But not every track includes such a stark tonal shift. Many songs see Curry sticking with his quick and gritty deliveries, like on “John Wayne” and “Aint No Way.” These two songs feature bolder vocal performances and resemble elements of his past raging hits.

As the album reaches its second half, it breaks a usual precedent by getting faster and louder, as three out of the final four tracks serve as some of the more genetically trap cuts. On “MMESYF” as a whole, though, these types of tracks ultimately appear much less frequently and are much more stripped-back production-wise.

So, while not every track follows the jazz and hip-hop inspired direction of the LP as a whole, “MMESYF” still offers a cohesive and gratifying listen from the mind of Denzel Curry.