With one of the most anticipated, and important, albums of the 2020s in the tuck for years, Playboi Carti finally did the unthinkable: releasing his long-awaited fourth album, MUSIC.
1,540 days after sharing his innovative, game-changing LP, Whole Lotta Red (2020), Carti has become the epitome of MUSIC in every form. Every rapper in the world wants to work with him, from Kendrick Lamar to Ye to Future and Travis Scott; Carti’s influence on the current generation of hit-makers and underground artists is not only undeniable, but generationally unmatched midway through the decade.
As MUSIC locks in the Opium head honcho’s biggest commercial triumph of his career (charting 7th all-time in first-day streams in Spotify history), the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 298,000 first-week units, via Hits Daily Double. It is Carti’s second No. 1 album following WLR, becoming the first rapper in Billboard chart history to chart 31 songs on the Hot 100 at once. Carti followed up this dominance with the 4-track MUSIC deluxe, SORRY 4 THE WAIT, featuring OG cuts like “Different Day,” “2024” and “BACKR00MS” as well as the newly-dropped “FOMDJ” clad with new visuals.
While MUSIC may not be Carti’s most cohesive work, it’s arguably his best yet, giving fans a trove of differing vibes—a sample platter of every sound he’s capable of. His headlining Rolling Loud set earlier this month solidified the impact MUSIC already has, and will seemingly have for years to come.
Admittedly, at 30 total tracks, it’s difficult choosing just 10 songs that define MUSIC (or come up with a general consensus in the first place). But we were OWED this much new Carti after a four-year album drought, so we took a stab at it.
In the latest edition of RANKED, we look at our 10 favorite tracks off Playboi Carti’s biggest (and perhaps best?) album of his career so far.
Honorable Mentions: “FINE SHIT,” “TOXIC,” “OVERLY,” “I SEEEEEE YOU BABY BOI,” “DIS 1 GOT IT,” “FOMDJ”
10. “RADAR”
Anthemic, alien-inspired production fashioned by Metro Boomin makes a perfect pairing for Carti’s signature rasp. His MUSIC “is a gift,” after all, asserting that he’s reached an untouchable level of aura just seconds into the track. Hear Lil Wayne’s “John” weaved throughout the track? It’s one of many nods to Weezy, the original creator of the “I AM MUSIC” tagline.
9. “CRANK”
Sampling SpaceGhostPurrp’s “F*ck Taylor Gang,” Carti tapped into his newly-mastered deep voice, and this one is surely for the mosh-pits. I can’t help but scream along to Carti’s DJ, Swamp Izzo, shouting his name in my ear. While the beat plumes with energy, it’s abrasively catchy, as Carti finds an unmatched pocket in his “free throw” flow.
8. “OPM BABI”
Carti didn’t forget about his young ragers, embodying the sound of 00 pupils in Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely on “OPM BABI.” Baby voice Carti makes his return over ear-splitting distortion and pulsating 808s, making for one of the most volcanic, chaotic and raw efforts on MUSIC.
7. “LIKE WEEZY”
Paying homage to one of his greatest inspirations in Lil Wayne, and sampling Rich Kidz’s 2010 gem “Bend Over,” “LIKE WEEZY” has an argument for one of the most structurally sound tracks on MUSIC. It lingers with blog era energy, as Carti’s head-bobbing flow and sliding flows make for a memorable moment on MUSIC‘s back half. He lets his voice run wild, and that sample is just used perfectly. Listen for a few iconic lines about Wayne and Justin Bieber, who many thought would land on the album.
6. “COCAINE NOSE”
The guitar riff of Ashanti’s “Only U” is heard instantly, and Carti’s “COCAINE NOSE” does it justice. This song might be one of F1LTHY and Carti’s best yet; it oozes raw, guttural emotion primed for stank-faced moshes. This is heavy metal rap done right… and those “SEEYAH” ad-libs sound like Carti lost his voice screaming so loud. Carti put crack in this song.
5. “HBA”
An undoubted Top 5 MUSIC cut, “HBA” (formerly “H00DBYAIR”) is the de facto Opium anthem for good reason. Its music video features the entirety of 00, including Ken, Lone and Homixide Gang as all of them vibe out with Carti for what seems like the first time on camera. Despite its release over a year ago, it still remains as one of the strongest tracks MUSIC has to offer.
4. “BACKD00R”
As one of three Kendrick Lamar-assisted tracks, “BACKD00R” is all vibes from K-Dot and Carti. While Lamar doesn’t do too much rapping here, his short hook (along with Jhene Aiko) adds a layer of depth only he can supply. His “Vamp life, spooky” one-liner is quintessential Dot, as Carti reaches peak SEE-YAH Opium form. “Me and luh twin locked in, we ain’t worried about nothing” is just as catchy as when Carti shared the snippet a few months back. The beat, produced by Ye, is glossy, undeniably bouncy and feels like Carti’s attempt for a cookout hit. “BACKD00R” will be on repeat until further notice.
3. “EVIL J0RDAN”
Honestly, “EVIL J0RDAN” has an argument for the No. 1 song on MUSIC. Carti’s rapping is superb here compared to the rest of the album, acknowledging his opps and knowing that he’s changed the game for the better. One of the first songs teased in the I AM MUSIC rollout, Carti’s opening lines send fans into frenzy. “Emo-thug,” “rockstar” or whatever you want to call him, Carti’s talking his sh*t here. It’s an iconic offering of this Carti era and is more than deserving of a Top 3 nod.
2. “RATHER LIE”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… when Carti and The Weeknd link, it’s truly “TIMELESS.” “RATHER LIE” is another extension of the pair’s sonic universe, and proves to be the highest point of it. The Weeknd even popped out to perform the track with Carti at Rolling Loud; Kai Cenat and Dabo had it all on stream. It was a one-of-one moment, as “RATHER LIE” lives in a tier of its own when comes to ranking PBC and The Weeknd collabs. Catch both Abel and Carti on their joint tour this summer.
1. “OLYMPIAN”
“OLYMPIAN” feels like we’ve traveled back to 2018, but in the best way possible. Playboi Carti sounds like he’s taken the best parts of DIE LIT‘s “Long Time” and “RIP” and merged them as one, floating effortlessly over the track’s buzzy synths and crunchy drums. This is a classic-sounding Carti track for Day 1 fans itching for SOMETHING reminiscent of the era, but isn’t totally outdated. Carti captures the sonics of the current wave while incorporating the very sound he helped to pioneer. If we’re handing out Olympic medals, this song gets the GOLD.