With the release of american dream, 21 Savage broke a five-year hiatus from his last solo album release, I Am > I Was. Released on January 12th, american dream serves as the soundtrack to 21 Savage's upcoming movie, American Dream: The 21 Savage Story. American dream uses sampling to incorporate R&B and soul music elements to mesh out a dreamily rendered yet bass-dropping sound with snares and kicks. Tracks such as "all of me," rapping about guns and money (a staple topic of 21 Savage’s) featuring looping background vocals of Rose Royce singing about dreams and love, provide a stark and amusing contrast among the lyrics in the album. While american dream has top-notch production, the album feels trapped and limited as a piece of art. Despite having millions to his name, being a father to three children, and expanding his philanthropic endeavors, 21 Savage remains unable to escape his roots of gang violence. 

“all of me”

While featuring his classic motifs of gun violence and gang wars, “all of me” is different—21 Savage attempts to explore the consequences of his life in the streets. In the introductory track, “american dream,” 21's mom is interviewed about the difficulties and battles she took to give him a better life in America. His initial verse in “all of me” contradicts his mother's sacrifices present in “american dream” and sours the listener's feelings about this emotionally sensitive topic, but he addresses his internal conflicts with it in the chorus. 21 Savage remarks on his inability to escape his bad influences and knows that by partaking in these activities, he walks "Satan down that path," but he believes that one day he'll be able to escape as "God walk[s] with him." Later in the song, he drops a line, "I got rich and opened more doors than a doorman," which shows his relief from the gang life and exposure to new opportunities for himself. If 21 expanded more on the track, he could deliver a good storyline with artistic value. However, “all of me” would be the most fleshed out and emotionally vulnerable track on the album, before 21 reverts to his typical themes and topics of his teenage years as part of the 2100 gang.

“redrum”

Similar to the previous track, "all of me," Redrum's use of sampling creates a trap-style sound that raises listener's moods and excites them. Elza Laranjeira's work, "Serenata Do Adeus," can be heard in the opening sound of the track and at 0:45 (repeating throughout) to create an ethereal background sound. In addition, the soundtrack during the "Here's Johnny!" scene from The Shining is audible, beginning from 0:04. "Redrum" is a dynamic, trappy, and clean track that brings back the classic 21 Savage sound to the audience. The beat isn't the only 21 Savage classic present—you can hear it in his repetitive lyrics and songwriting. 21 again raps about murders, guns, and his gang life on the streets, without reflection or explanation of his actions. He puts on a "tough" facade. Unlike other works such as Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of the Day, Mac Miller's Circles, or Kanye's KIDS SEE GHOSTS, american dream's recycled messages and lack of emotional depth deteriorate it as a work of art.

“pop ur sh*t”

“What you smokin’? Uncle Snoop, it smells like gas, I think somebody pooped.” 21 Savage's incredible lyricism and uncanny ability to rhyme leaves listeners in awe—it's the greatest piece of music that anybody has ever listened to. 21 Savage compares the smell of "gas" (weed) to "ass" (due to the nature of similar pronunciation), implying that weed smells awful. He reasons that because it smells so terrible, somebody must've pooped their pants. If you want a surprise appearance on his next album, make sure you smell bad!

 21 Savage's american dream is an album with grandiose promises that ultimately fail to deliver any significant or lasting impacts on the listener. He doesn't push himself and explore the boundaries of his music. For years, 21 Savage has rapped about his life involving murders, money, and relationships with women and has been unable to broaden himself and elevate his music further. Furthermore, his repetitive lyrics across songs (for example, "Standin' on business" used in "all of me" multiple times, along with "redrum") only serve as a reflection of his limited scope and define his artistic ceiling. His monotonous and generic flow, lack of diverse and experimental sound, and inability to innovate act to oversaturate 21's music, making it bland. So close to the peak but never able to grasp the summit, american dream reminds audiences of 21 Savage's idleness and lack of growth.