NO MIXED EMOTIONS here, BABA NO BABY delivers on his debut album
BABA NO BABY’s debut NO MIXED EMOTIONS album hits from beginning to end and the young rapper proves himself as someone you need to know.
BABA NO BABY is a 19-year-old Arab rapper taking the Canadian music game by storm. After beginning his rap career when he was 14 and finding early success with his single “The 80’s” in 2020 under the name Yung Jalap he now has nearly 3000 monthly listeners on Spotify and just released his first official album.
Coming from Sydney, Nova Scotia BABA makes a point of incorporating his Saudi Arabian culture into his music with hopes to inspire young Arab artists much like himself. My first time hearing BABA was actually when I was doing a review for fellow Nova Scotian artist Atay’s album ‘YOU DESERVE THE MOON’. He was featured on one of my favourite tracks ‘VITAMINS’ and was a stand-out on the song. With this previous experience in mind, I was excited to hear what else he had to offer and he did not disappoint.
Not skipping a beat BABA sprints right in with a hard intro. Rapping over a boom bap instrumental, FOUR TIMES IN THE MORNING is fueled with vivid imagery and storytelling that would have anybody’s head bobbing. This track immediately shows off one of his rare and refreshing styles.
FACETIME is the second track and if there were a single from the album it would’ve been this one. Being the catchiest and the easiest track to listen to, with heavy bass and a great hook I could easily see this song blowing up and becoming the most popular song on the album.
SPOSE TO DO is the album’s first venture into BABA’s drill style and it’s a hit. Adopting and experimenting with a few different voices that are angrier and you can hear the pain in which serves as a sharp contrast to his normal sedated deep voice. The voices suit this song in specific stylistically and add a lot to it.
WHO IS THE BEST is another hard-hitting trap track where BABA skillfully flows and raps about feeling himself and trapping with girls and drugs. Probably the straight hardest song on the album I could definitely see myself coming back to this one when I’m driving around one late night.
Every good rap album has a track that is purely flexing the rapper’s status, money, or fashion, and CARTIER DREAMS is exactly that. BABA bounces on yet another trap instrumental and gives us everything we need from a track like this.
If CARTIER DREAMS was the flex track, INVINCIBLE is the track where BABA is feeling himself through and through. “The best in the Cape” kills it on the hardest drill beat from the album and keeps this album banging after yet another track.
On BOOM BAP SHIT BABA proves his rap ability and digs back into his bag of styles yet again. BOOM BAP SHIT is the smoothest and the second most heartfelt on the album, rapping about issues we can all relate to, wanting to make it, self-doubt, and mental health issues. Seeing behind the hard trapper persona really opens BABA up and makes him even more likable.
As a contrast to the last track, we venture back into BABA’s hard-hitting trap style in LATE NIGHTS. On this track BABA raps about, you guessed it, Late nights. With an acoustic guitar twanging over a heavy bass fueled trap instrumental, BABA once again proves his ability to make a catchy and yet still hard-hitting track that keeps you wanting more.
Now the next 2 tracks are probably my favourites of the album. As many artists do they usually leave the more experimental, emotional, and less straightforward tracks to the end and these do not disappoint.
GHOST MODE has a completely different sound from the rest of the album and it’s put at the perfect time. The instrumental is crazy and had me making a face immediately. BABA bounces on yet another different style track displaying his ability to rap over whatever you put in front of him. Sonically this is a sound I could definitely see BABA exploring more should he ever look to go somewhere other than his trap/drill style.
On the final track ‘LIFE OF THE GAME’ BABA raps about the issues he’s faced in life such as his struggles with mental health, family issues, homelessness, gang violence, and drug abuse. All the while flexing his lyrical ability BABA really opens up on this track and it creates a really powerful and personal song. Easily one of the best on the young artist’s debut album.
I love hearing young artists like this making a lane for themselves, being in charge of the wealth that they create, and doing it in a way that they chose, not one that was chosen for them. BABA raps “I’m only 18, making more than minimum wage, please don’t play me” and as straightforward as the line is it’s still one of the ones that stand out the most to me. I’m glad BABA is winning and I hope he continues to in whatever lane he chooses.
With hard-hitting trap, drill, and the occasional 90’s boom bap tracks BABA creates a very enjoyable experience that I would suggest to anyone who likes rap music. No matter what style you enjoy I’m sure BABA probably has at least one track that suits it and if this album doesn’t I’m sure the next one will.
MIXED EMOTIONS is out now on all streaming platforms, check it out!
