This is the motherf***ing Flex Gang national anthem!!!
Flex Gang. The comic relief of the music industry. With stage names ranging from Submarine Man to Young Seagull, it’s not surprising that barely anybody, not least me, takes the record label seriously. Not that they care. If there’s one thing that is predictable about Flex Gang - for which there is little - it’s that they love being the point of ridicule, even if it means sections of their roster are often looped into the worst rappers of all time. While that’s an ephemeral honor, it seems to placate most; with the notable exception of rapper Lil Mosquito Disease. As the self-proclaimed face of Flex Gang (though I have only seen it covered with his signature kerchief), LMD is no stranger to cancerous, spoiled displays of songwriting. Maybe that’s too harsh: While I can’t tell if his music is deliberately satirical, it certainly comes across that way. In that sense, there is some enjoyment to be derived. Especially his 2019 collaborative project, Swarm, featuring now YouTube superstar Big Baller B. As far as LMD lore goes, Swarm is as educational as it gets.
But LMD’s latest solo release, Diagnosis, is not a Death Grips parody. Nor is it a wisecrack gimmick of a record. Instead, Diagnosis is a legitimate, robust venture into trap metal and tread. And discounting my predisposed opinion of what Flex Gang albums “should” sound like, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the primitive depravity of many of the tracks. Personally, I’d credit a large proportion of that enjoyment to the production, engineered by Lil Squeaky and Kid Floral. This is simply too professional for Flex Gang. On the title track, the 808s are throbbingly addictive, not to mention the merry, almost festive synth passages. Meme samples are used sparingly and effectively, balancing furious lyrical invectives with the light-hearted antics we’ve come to expect from Flex Gang representatives. The cursory hype stampede “Wake Up” never yields in its electron-fusing absurdity, and even accelerates during Lil Joof’s (honestly awesome) feature. The first 10 minutes of Diagnosis is exactly what LMD should have been doing for the past half a decade.
But calling Diagnosis just a trap metal release would be quite ignorant of the diversity LMD delves into on downstream cuts. E.g. the phonk-inspired “Broke My Wrist,” which, in such a rat infested genre, might be one of my favorite phonk tracks ever (the bar is in the dirt). “Fool Of Flex” has a Violator-esque ambiance to it that, while out of place, is executed somewhat skillfully. Hooks-galore on “Winner,” with who I’m assuming is Mr Ice trotting a coltish, soapy chorus that is perfectly amateur. To say nothing of “Prelude,” which while at first reminded me of Fax Gang’s 2020 EP FxG3000, transitions into a frog-like funk beat (?) and then a sawtooth guitar solo. Effortless beat switches on a Flex Gang album? Surprising, but welcome.
As much as I sing the virtues of Diagnosis, at its core, it is still a Flex Gang record, which carries with it the clumsiness of absent-minded lyrics and the intermittent irrational production or melodic preference. But while this was a liability on previous records, on Diagnosis it’s endearing and a distinct upper hand at times. Besides, trap metal has never been no-nonsense, and those who approach it as such are simply edgy and put a bad name on the genre. Ultimately, I just want hype, I want memes, and I want cockiness and disrespect. That’s it. Diagnosis delivers with flying colors.
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