Reprising the collaboration they unofficially began on 2016's
ColleGrove
(intended to be a joint album, but ultimately credited as a
2 Chainz
solo project due to legalities),
Lil Wayne
and
lock into some moments of incredible chemistry on
Welcome 2 Collegrove
. Narrative skits and quick shifts in production styles give the album a mixtape feel, but what really makes the project exciting is the energy both rappers exude when playing off of each other. This can take many forms, like the contrast between
's patient couplets and
Wayne
's rapid-fire verse on the slow-burning "Presha"; passionate performances over glistening slow-motion soul on "Oprah & Gayle," with assistance from
Benny the Butcher
; and disorienting robo-funk and over-the-top vulgarity on "Crazy Thick," which segues immediately into a smooth tRap&B track complete with a hook sung by
Usher
on "Transparency." Also like many mixtapes, not every track on
is essential, and the quality gets spottier in the final quarter, but the album stays consistently fun if not entirely engaging. Highlights are abundant, including "Big Diamonds," which gets its extra bite from a
21 Savage
feature, and "Long Story Short," which finds
rapping at the same level of lucidity and charisma as some of his best work. ~ TiVo Staff