Doing G.O.O.D.

After quite a few delays and last minute changes to My Name Is My Name, fans of Pusha T are anxious to finally hear what the G.O.O.D Music rapper has to offer in what he’s self-proclaimed to be the best album of the year. In the mainstream eye of hip-hop Pusha T is still making a name for himself, no pun intended, but is slowly and successfully transforming his style and originality into one of the most recognizable in the game.

In the wake of some truly great albums already released in 2013 (Yeezus, Born Sinner, NWTS) My Name Is My Name proudly holds its own. This might be Pusha T’s first studio album but the energy in his delivery is intense and polished to a shine.

Despite keeping the feature list somewhat shorter than expected, Pusha T makes no mistake in his approach and delivers his best work yet since Clipse. From a lyrical stand-point Pusha exceeds expectations and along with the insightful observations of European fashion, trends, and current society, his dark tales of the drug underworld are so realistic it’ll have you wondering if he’s really leading a double life.

As predicted, Pusha wastes no time in addressing various beefs throughout the music scene with an impressive arsenal of subliminal messages. Seemingly, the only thing missing on My Name Is My Name is a verse from Kanye West although his presence in production is heavily felt. Even samples of Kanye’s “New Slaves” from his latest work Yeezus can be heard in the background of “King Push” which is the first track on the album and arguably the best. The songs first line “this is king push” is significant as the main message behind this album is a reminder Pusha T is no longer an amateur and should be mentioned when speaking of the best.

“Let Me Love You”, “Nostalgia” and “Sweet Serenade” are also deserving of the spotlight, featuring performances from Kelly Rowland, Kendrick Lamar and Chris Brown.

Surprisingly My Name Is My Name is rather diverse in its instrumental selection swapping back between raw off-set trap beats and triumphant synths. Even though some of the album is similar sounding to Kanye West’s Yeezus, the decision to keep at least a few of the songs more radio appropriate should prove to be a smart one to increase sales. Since signing with G.O.O.D Music, Pusha T has still yet to fully live up to the hype. As the last few years have been unpredictable for him, it’s exciting and satisfying to finally receive a quality collection of music from him.

Clearly the snarling MC has figured out a winning formula and has hopefully reached a standard for future works. It’ll be intriguing to see what new demographics this album opens up for Pusha T. Overall My Name Is My Name offers a little something for everyone and is sure to not disappoint.