Mixtape Review: Balenciaga Banks @BalenciagaBanks – Made and Crafted

[phoenixstar9]

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Balenciaga Banks is back! Ok he never really left, but he has brought some new music to us with the new project, "Made and Crafted".

Banks has stayed true to his image in his follow up to his last project, "Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams".   The mixtape touches on Banks' youth, growing up poor, rising above his circumstances,haters, women and more.

Balenciaga is your rapper's rapper. The title track "Made and Crafted" is the gasoline here. "Made and Crafted" is a sincere, heavy string and sample driven introduction that sets the tone. The following bars will paint the picture for you, "How you feel about them people that came fresh up out them slums but be braggin when they make it, now what you think about the people who has been privileged since their youth they can't function once they lose it."

"Drink and Clap" featuring Breezy Bernanke is sampled from the popular 50's song, "Mambo Italiano". I love the vibe on this track, there is a heavy club feel to the beat, on top of that after one listen, I am convinced that Banks knows how to party.

"Letting Go" isn't a total skip, but it didn't grab me. It was a little unexpected as the track is guided by a sample from pop group, No Doubt's hit song "Don't Speak". Banks narrates a tale of infidelity and losing your best friend at the same time.

"Cool Again" featuring Audrianna Cole was on the way to losing me due to the commercial bland guitar sound. Banks' delivery and message brought me back in, he makes it a message that many of us can relate to, wanting things to go back to the way they used to be in the "Good Old Days", wanting things to be cool again.

"Made it" is a hustler's anthem and a shout out to haters. Extremely catchy hook, infectious rhythm, and feel good uptempo handclaps. Banks has this smart,gritty, and assertive flow that you can hear bleeding through the speakers.

Everybody has struggles and demons that they have dealt with. On the track "Gripes", Banks airs out his "dirty laundry", well not totally, it really served as a venting session. This is also another favorite and Banks doesn't forget where he came from.

"Unpolished Diamond" is clearly an outline or blueprint if you will, of Bank's guide to success. He hits you with a more midtempo feel. He has that hunger, and he makes it known.

I think it's safe to say that Banks is clearly making a name for himself. Runways or Concert Halls, Banks is killing them all.