Rap Blog is a weekly showcase of a standout rap song.
Jay Critch and Laron have been working together for nearly a decade now, and their easygoing chemistry is beyond apparent on new collaborative mixtape Plus Ultra. Laron’s instrumentals glimmer and prance, from the crystallized fog of “Don’t Remind Me” to the downtempo groove of tropical vacation “Don Julio.” In a recent interview, Laron said the pair was focused on building a world with the album, and so the sonic architecture is as luxurious as the designer clothing and extensive bank accounts these songs detail.
In turn, Jay Critch sounds invigorated over these beats, whether cataloguing the spoils of wealth on “Well Known” or brushing off fair-weather groupies over the rippling synths of “Raven.” I’d say he sounds best on “2 For Me,” which tilts a little more organic than Laron’s other handiwork with a gentle bounce and strafing hi-hats. Critch casually jogs through the mix, laundering honeybuns into clean money and nodding off with a double cup in his hand. It’s a particularly bright spot on a luminous record, breezy and delightful.
