Antonio Brown Releases Debut Rap Album, ‘Paradigm,’ But Is It Any Good?
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Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown takes his foray into the music world to the next level with the release of his debut album, Paradigm. An 11-track effort, the album includes a variety of blockbuster features and beats from some of the hottest producers in the game. But we know the question most Hip-Hop fans are asking: “Is the music any good?”
Upon spinning the project, you immediately get the sense that AB’s relationship with Kanye West has paid dividends, both in regards to the cohesiveness of the album and the costars that pop up throughout.
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The introductory salvo, “Champions,” which features recent Kanye collaborator and mentee Fivio Foreign, finds AB asserting himself well, with the former Super Bowl winner rapping, “Still balling, still winning/ Still smiling, still grinning” atop a frantic backdrop. Other guest stars whose tentacles also connect to West include DaBaby, who pops up on “Business Boomin,” and Young Thug, who drops a verse and hook on the menacing standout, “Get In My Bag.”
Paradigm is littered with contributors who assist AB with the heavy lifting for the majority of the album, but in the few instances he flies solo, the matchup goes in his favor more often than not. One of those occasions is on the Chase Davis-produced banger “Put That Sh*t On,” as the Miami native drops clever quips mixing snapshots from his professional life with offhand boasts referencing his life of luxury: “Pull up, valet lift the door, my car still was running/ Walked out your b**ch life like I walked off the field or something/ AB, why you make the GOAT retire, what’s your deal or something/ Buffalo skin on my coat, she think I play for the Bills or something.”
Other moments on Paradigm that showcase AB’s lyrical ability include “Chilly Waters,” a reflective offering that finds him crooning alongside vocalist Blue Monae on the hook, and the “Pit Not The Palace (Remix),” which finds him teaming up with 42 Dugg and French Montana. Rounded out with additional features from Keyshia Cole (“Don’t Leave”) and Jacquees (“Ptsd”), Paradigm is an impressive release on the part of AB and is sure to add credibility and validity rather than side-eyes and sarcastic scoffs to his musical endeavors moving forward.
Listen to AB’s Paradigm album below.
