Gangsta Art 2

CMG’s 2022 <i>Gangsta Art</i> compilation demonstrated definitively just how far the label has come in the rap game. Helmed by Memphis mastermind Yo Gotti, the erstwhile Cocaine Muzik Group now exists as a hip-hop powerhouse, brimming with hitmakers like GloRilla and Moneybagg Yo alongside other standout acts. Those two fittingly lead off the second volume in this series, the former with the triumphant “Overstood”, the latter with the sexually charged “50-50”. What follows is roughly an hour’s worth of memorable verses and wicked hooks from 42 Dugg, EST Gee, Lil Poppa, Mozzy and more from the CMG family, in various permutations and with noteworthy guests. Among those in the latter category are Fivio Foreign, who gives GloRilla his drill energy on “Cha Cha Cha”, and Sexyy Red, who joins Moneybagg Yo for the expectation-setting “Big Dawg”. An R&B reprieve from the relentless rap attack, singer Lehla Samia’s “You Want It” slyly refers back to a Pharrell classic. And of course Gotti himself leaves his own lyrical mark throughout, decoding the lifestyle with Big Boogie on “Foundation” and pairing with label mainstay Blac Youngsta for “Fire Us”.