Every rapper wants to be that dude who sells out arenas and releases acclaimed albums, who has a unique sound and wins Grammys, whose obsession has forced adaption, and Devin the Dude, the 43 year-old from Houston, attempted change to become that dude.

Never reaching the full limelight, Devin the Dude can be described as semi-famous. His previous raps have had a southern twist similar to T.I., but now Devin, who is signed with Entertainment One Music, is trying to recreate himself.

The song “One For the Road” uses a little saxophone and a lot of smooth lyricism for his new rap life. His calming presence is the album’s biggest success and most prevalent in top song “I’m Just Gettin’ Blowed.” An old-school saxophone is all that is needed for the chorus, and the verses are relaxing with experienced wordplay.

The problem with Devin the Dude is that his past faults have hindered his fame return. “One For the Road” lacks cohesion.

The track “Livin’ This Life” has a terrible poppy chorus by guest Angela Williams, and Devin adds cliche after cliche in his verses.

On top of that, production is less than desirable throughout the album. Loud synthesizers overshadow many songs, while others are messy and rushed.

For Devin the Dude’s reincarnation to be as successful as planned, he could have gone with some nice relaxed West-coast beats, but instead he tried to hit the home run. Devin has songs that function well on their own, but the lack of cohesion is still evident.

He is still semi-famous, and has not yet become that dude. 

2.5/5