Baby Keem’s Ca$ino Opens to Mixed Reviews at WGHS

(Image via Rolling Stone)

On February 20, rapper Baby Keem, real name Hykeem Jamaal Carter Jr., returned to the spotlight with his second studio album Ca$ino, breaking a half-decade hiatus. However, opinions on the project are mixed.
by Emery Brown and Beckett DeWitt

Gavin White, a senior and long-time fan of Keem, believes that Ca$ino “was solid. It was kind of a different sound a little bit [from his previous work].” Of the eleven songs, he notes that the track “Circus Circus Freestyle” “was the best song on there; it was one of the highlights.”

Interestingly, Gavin believes that Ca$ino’s replayability is another highlight, stating, “First listen it was kind of a lowlight, because it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was kinda different... [but] at second listen I was like ‘Ooh, this is kinda good,’ [and] third listen I was like ‘This is actually really good!’ It just got better with each listen.”

Gavin believes that the only way Ca$ino could be improved is with “less Kendrick,” referring to fellow hip-hop star Kendrick Lamar, Keem’s older cousin who is featured on two tracks of the album. “I love Kendrick, but Kendrick was too much on it.” Overall, Gavin’s positive opinion of Ca$ino can be summarized in a single, simple quote: “No [final thoughts]. It was a good album.”

Bradley Wallace, a junior, had a more negative opinion of the album compared to Gavin, despite being a long-time fan of Baby Keem. “I’m a D1 new Baby Keem hater… so I only like [his] old stuff.” He found most of the songs to be subpar, noting how Baby Keem’s new, matured voice is a major part of his distaste for the record, saying, “I just miss that old Baby Keem voice; now he’s too grown up.”

Similarly to Gavin, Bradley believed Ca$ino could’ve been improved by including less Kendrick, reflecting a growing trend of fatigue with the rapper’s presence in so many big projects in recent years. Bradley didn’t just have complaints, however. His highlights included “the ‘No Security’ to ‘Ca$ino’ transition,” which he thought was “pretty peak.” Additionally, he said he “liked ‘House Money’ with Kendrick Lamar… ‘Circus Circus Freestyle’… and ‘No Blame.’”

Overall, opinions on Ca$ino are mixed, yet one thing is for certain: fans, new and old, look forward to Keem’s long-awaited return to the spotlight.