Maxo Kream is hyper self-aware of the evil that comes with his life in the streets, but he is equally unrepentant of his past decisions. The Houston emcee released his third mixtape, entitled Maxo 187, that once again places the emphasis on the seedy underworld of the South West Texas trap and criminal enterprises. In the tradition of his previous mixtapes, especially Quicc Strikes, Trigga Maxo explores the nihilistic tendencies of his Kream Clicc Gang, but this time he adds real New's Clips to verify the validity of his many boastful claims. Throughout Maxo 187's 15 tracks and hour and a half run time, the realities facing Maxo and those Houston youths relegated to the low-income neighborhoods are laid frighteningly bare.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW28GbO9q5k[/youtube]
Maxo's flow does not possess the same emotional inflection that has typified internet emcees for the past few years. He rhymes in a matter-of-fact manner, usually jamming a variety of harsh images together without a second guess or any moments of reflection. In "1998," he describes his childhood filled with cursing out teachers, stealing Pokemon cards, and trauma, but in the next breath, he is back to praising his hood and the streets that raised him.
While Maxo's low monotone flow might turn some people off, Maxo 187 is filled with impressive lyrical content and interesting concepts. "Murder" is a rare moment of slight softness, as Trigga grieves for all of those lost to the streets. He lists off those who have been murdered, but it gives off an eerie and depressing atmosphere. Maxo finds himself in love with one of his customers on "Trap Mami"; even though he is speaking on an emotional topic, it is still bracketed in a discussion of heavy drug use.
If you grow tired of hearing only Maxo, luckily for you he brought an entire cast of features for Maxo 187. Joey Bada$$ makes a high profile appearance on "1998," and even assumes his flow. Houston budding superstars, The Sauce Twinz, add their unique brand of rhyming to "Astrodome." Lamb$, Ski Mask Malley, Lil Family, LE$, and Fredo Santana are all present as well. The most unique of his features comes from Father on "Cell Boomin." Their collaboration is as unexpected as it is good.
Wxlf Gxd primarily handled the production on Maxo 187, but there were contributions from a number of up-and-comers. Maxo 187 sounds more cohesive than it's predecessors, possibly due to Wxlf Gxd's heavy involvement and Maxo fully understanding his vision. A$AP P On The Boards, Ryan ESL, and Christian Lou all handle two tracks on the tape, each adding a special spin on the dirge trap sound.
You should definitely check out Maxo 187, especially if you were into the drill movement. Maxo has grown a lot on this record and has become an interesting character to hear from. His no holds bar confessions are often difficult to digest, but equally hard to turn off.
