Harverd Dropout

Florida rapper Lil Pump's youthful insolence isn't just part of his charm, it's his whole act. One of more visible stars of the wave of SoundCloud rappers who rose to prominence in the mid-2010s, Pump was just 17 when his breakthrough single "Gucci Gang" became a multi-platinum summer anthem with a swagger that was brazen, catchy, and mind-numbingly repetitive enough to become instantly viral. His self-titled studio debut was full of the same attitude as the single; arrogant and willfully dumb but also hyperactively fun. Lil Pump's cartoonish persona was ridiculous but there was something infectious in the rawness of the production and his crude but always over-the-top lyrical bumrushes. In the time between "Gucci Gang" went viral and the arrival of the major-label-released second album Harverd Dropout, Pump's popularity exploded into the stratosphere. Standout songs on this cleanly produced sophomore effort include the booming "Racks on Racks," the goofy, wobbling Kanye West collaboration "I Love It," and "ION," a track that sees Pump reuniting with longtime friend and SoundCloud rap peer Smokepurpp for strings of spazzy rhymes taking aim at teachers and enemies with a disrespect so flagrant and searing it becomes hilarious. This is why Lil Pump is loved by his fans: his rhymes are combative and his personality is reckless as he relentlessly fires off about flaunting his wealth, abusing drugs, and spitting in the face of anyone in his way. The figure presented throughout Harverd Dropout is meant to be an invincible idiot, bold enough to dedicate opening song "Drop Out" to how dropping out of high school was the key to his success. ~ Fred Thomas