Still Brazy

Still Brazy
Studio album by YG
Released	June 17, 2016 (2016-06-17)
Recorded	2015–16
Studio	17 Hertz Studio, Los Angeles
Genre	West Coast hip hop gangsta rap
Length	47:50
Label	400 CTE Def Jam
Producer	Jeezy (exec.) YG (also exec.) CT Beats Hit-Boy Kamaiyah Larrance Dopson P-Lo Swish Terrace Martin Ty Dolla Sign
YG chronology
Blame It On the Streets (2014) Still Brazy (2016)
Singles from Still Brazy
"Twist My Fingaz" Released: July 17, 2015 (2015-07-17) "FDT" Released: March 30, 2016 (2016-03-30) "Why You Always Hatin?" Released: May 21, 2016 (2016-05-21) "Still Brazy" Released: June 2, 2016 (2016-06-02) "Word Is Bond" Released: July 29, 2016 (2016-07-29)

Still Brazy is the second studio album by American rapper YG. It was made available for streaming on June 14, 2016, by Apple Music.^[1] It was released physically for the digital download purchases on June 17, 2016,^[2][3] by 400, CTE World and Def Jam Recordings.^[4] The album features production handled by Swish, P-Lo, Terrace Martin, Larrance Dopson, CT Beats, Ty Dolla Sign and Hit-Boy, while YG enlisted the collaborators from these hip hop recording artists such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Nipsey Hussle and Slim 400, among others.

The album was supported by five singles: "Twist My Fingaz", "FDT" featuring Nipsey Hussle, "Why You Always Hatin?" featuring Drake and Kamaiyah, "Still Brazy", and "Word Is Bond" featuring Slim 400, while headlining or promoting a tour.^[5] It received widespread acclaim from critics, and charted at number 6 on the Billboard 200.

Promotion

To promote the album release, YG released the track, called "I Wanna Benz" was released on December 12, 2015. The song features guest appearances from fellow American rappers Nipsey Hussle and 50 Cent, with the production that was provided by London on da Track. The track also premiered by Oliver El-Khatib on the twelfth episode of the OVO's Sound Radio show.^[6]

Singles

The lead single from the album, called "Twist My Fingaz" was released on July 17, 2015. The song was produced by Terrace Martin.^[7]

The second single from the album, called "FDT" (stylized for "Fuck Donald Trump") was released on March 30, 2016.^[8] The song features guest appearance from fellow American rapper Nipsey Hussle, with the production that was provided by Swish.^[9] Much of the original lyrics in the single version was censored and replaced with these newer verses on the album, after YG revealed the government contacted his label regarding the song.^[10] On July 20, 2016, YG released a remixed version of a track, called "FDT Part 2". The song features guest appearances from fellow American rappers G-Eazy and Macklemore.^[11]

The third single from the album, called "Why You Always Hatin?" was released on May 21, 2016. The song premiered by Oliver El-Khatib on the OVO's Sound Radio. The song features guest appearances from a Canadian rapper Drake and Oakland's own rapper Kamaiyah, with the production that was handled by CT Beats.^[12]

The album's fourth single, "Still Brazy" was released on June 2, 2016, alone with an accompanied music video. The track was produced by Ty Dolla Sign.^[13]

The album's fifth single, "Word Is Bond" was released on July 29, 2016, alone with an accompanied music video. The song features a guest verse from American rapper Slim 400, with the production that was provided by P-Lo.^[14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.7/10[15]
Metacritic	83/100[16]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[17]
Consequence of Sound	B+[18]
Exclaim!	8/10[19]
HipHopDX	4.2/5[20]
PopMatters	8/10[21]
Pitchfork	8/10[22]
RapReviews.com	8/10[23]
Slant Magazine	[24]
Spin	8/10[25]
Tiny Mix Tapes	4/5[26]

Still Brazy received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 83, based on 14 reviews.^[16] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "A heavy album that doesn't pander to what's PC, what's on the radio, or what safe, suburban America believes."^[17] Martín Caballero of The Boston Globe said, "Here, it's less about what Y.G. does than how he does it; digging deeper into vintage G-funk flavors with a blend of personal, party, and political tracks, the young Compton rapper takes a sizzling step forward."^[27] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound said, "It's full of the kind of warm G-funk that never fails to transport you to the part of the country it belongs to."^[18] Exclaim!'s Themistoklis Alexis gave the album a positive review, writing that it succeeds in "evoking the crown jewels of West Coast hip-hop royalty."^[19] Trent Clark of HipHopDX said, "Still Brazy is a testament that real-life experience breeds the best music but we can do without the shootouts from this point on."^[20]

Grant Rindner of PopMatters said, "No one out there is crafting visceral street tales like he is, and if he could just trim his track lists a bit, he has the talent to make a gangster rap classic in the future."^[21] Patrick Taylor of RapReviews.com said, "While most of the album is concerned with asserting that YG is still a G despite his fame, it closes with a trio of protest songs."^[23] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "Still Brazy is an artisanal, proletarian Los Angeles gangster rap record, less tribute to the sound's golden age than a full-throated and wholly absorbed recitation."^[28] Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork said, "Still Brazy solidifies YG as a torch-bearer for west coast gangster rap."^[22] Sam C. Mac of Slant Magazine said, "Make no mistake--musically and lyrically, this is an expansion."^[24] Drew Millard of Spin said, "YG has gone and done himself one better, creating a record that stands tall alongside the full-lengths he once mined."^[25] Nick Henderson of Tiny Mix Tapes said, "Every song lands, resounds, resists, and repeats true to its aim."^[26]

Year-end rankings

Commercial performance

Still Brazy debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200, with 38,000 album-equivalent units; it sold 27,000 copies in the United States.^[30] It marked YG's second top ten album on the Billboard 200.^[31]

Track listing

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Credits for Still Brazy adapted from AllMusic.^[32]

Charts

References