★★★½
Energetic rapper Meek Mill returns with his third studio album, ‘Wins & Losses.’ More often than not, the ‘wins’ outweigh the ‘losses.’
30-year old Philly rapper Meek Mill returns with his third studio album, Wins & Losses. Wins & Losses arrives two years after his breakout album, Dreams Worth More Than Money. Wins & Losses has a lot of what you expect from a Meek Mill album, but there are some pleasant surprises as well. Here are the top 5 songs from Wins & Losses.
No. 1: “Heavy Heart”
“Heavy Heart,” the second song from Wins & Losses, finds the MC reflecting on the losses. This ranks among the better songs of his career because he gets personal. Sure, he doesn’t eschew toughness or even tone down his profanity, but there’s definitely more authenticity compared to some of his songs.
No. 2: “Whatever You Need”
“Whatever You Need” brings Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign along for the assist. At this point, it’s a bit hard to get too excited about features from either artist – they’re ubiquitous. Even so, they both help to make “Whatever You Need” among the best moments of Wins & Losses. This is the pop track on a hardcore rap album.
No. 3: “Young Black America”
“Young Black America,” featuring The-Dream, is the most meaningful song on the album. Meek Mill gets socially conscious, focusing on black issues. He’s emotional and energetic, but there’s a relaxed vibe about his delivery, that actually puts more weight on what he’s rapping. The-Dream is a perfectly suited as a collaborator, providing a thoughtful contrast to Meek’s rhymes.
No. 4: “Glow Up”
“Glow Up” exemplifies a winning mentality, in all its glory. The promo single for Wins & Losses, the banger packs more punch contextually. It isn’t brand new, but there’s still something magical that goes down when he’s ‘all the way turnt up.’
No. 5: “Connect the Dots”
“Connect the Dots” brings along Yo Gotti and Rick Ross. The result is the banger of the album, hands down. Malicious production, hard-hitting rhymes, and a killer vibe make “Connect the Dots” can’t-miss.
Final Thoughts
All said and done, Meek Mill has his moments on Wins and Losses. At 67 minutes, it’s too long – trimming would’ve boded well in its favor. Additionally, as an MC, more often than not, we are offered familiarity as opposed to something starkly different from Meek Mill. Still, when it’s all said and done, he can rap his butt off. More wins than losses.
Gems: “Wins & Losses,” “Heavy Heart,” “Whatever You Need,” “Connect the Dots,” “Glow Up” & “Young Black America”
