KODAK BLACK GETS LOST IN HIS SELF DESTRUCTION ON ‘PISTOLZ & PEARLZ’

The life of Kodak Black is tarnished by tragedy. One of rap’s most promising performers of 2016, Kodak earned a spot on the XXL Freshman list alongside Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage, and others. The enormous talent and endearing image of the Florida rapper were covering behind a darker, more nasty mentality.

There isn’t a law Kodak hasn’t broken or a crime he hasn’t done. He has previously faced various charges of rape, drug and weapon possession, armed robbery, and numerous other felonies, including sexual assault.

This year, he received headlines, but not for his music. He was seen on camera in a delirious state, shirtless, and by himself in the train station, talking to himself on the concrete floor. Another time, Kodak appeared disoriented on Instagram Live while sporting unkempt facial hair.

The formerly untouchable trendsetter began to cry as a fan said that the rapper should go back to jail. Even while Kodak’s influence has helped to bring in a new sound for Florida rap, led by DX Rising Star Luh Tyler, it appears that Kodak has taken the hurt he has caused others to himself over the years.

Kodak’s first album of 2023 and his final for Atlantic Records is Pistolz & Pearlz. The majority of his most recent collaborators are included on the new album: Vvsnce, Loe Shimmy, GorditoFlo, EST Gee, Lil Crix, and Syko Bob. Although it’s clear that Kodak is giving Florida’s underground music scene a platform, his inclusion on the first half of the project feels like an afterthought.

On “Roses,” where Vvsnce lays down catchy verses on sex and toxic love, and “Get Away,” where Loe Shimmy sings his way through love and opulent flexes, Kodak lacks verses. Not a solo record, but a compilation CD would benefit from this.

The recent drug difficulties of Kodak are exposed on Pistolz & Pearlz. His performance lacks the impact of “Walk/Spin” from the previous year, and his use of hooks and melodies is poor. “Flirting with Death” has all the makings of a great Kodak song, but where Kodak’s syrupy, quicksand cadence would have previously been a strength, it now sounds like it’s been smothered in promethazine. Although GorditoFlo’s stanza is excellent on its own, it feels out of place in the tune. On “Dope Boy Magic,” Kodak’s subpar performance is evident again as he noticeably slurs his verses.

The plod may not function as music, but it offers an intriguing, if not tragic, insight inside Kodak’s mind and feelings. On “Tryna Figure Why,” Kodak conveys the impression that he is aware that time is limited. His voice breaks as he expresses his feelings about betrayal, the inability to find love, and his impending death through broken autotune. He begs desperately, “I’m lookin to the sky, pray to god to make a way. His opponents want his head, he drinks pints of lean to dull the pain, and buddies are in the intensive care unit. He bemoans the realities of his world.

Kodak is held accountable in “Follow Me” when speaking to a lover, confessing to adultery and taking responsibility for his mistakes. Kodak has always been a hopeless romantic, and previous projects frequently explored similar emotions.

On this album, the Florida rapper romanticizes gang life in an effort to find meaning in a cruel world. Kodak is conscious of his acts and of who he is, but this awareness has been accompanied with acceptance of his situation. He enjoys the same chaos that prevents him from transcending into a happier place rather than making an effort to leave troublesome environments. He mentions in “Gunsmoke Town” about placing the hood on himself so the projects could evict him.

Pistolz & Pearlz’s third act is challenging to sit through. Songs like “Balance,” “No Love for a Thug,” “Stay,” and the album’s closing track, “Down with You,” rely on dull song structures and cliches that come out more as fluff than as important song placements. The 21 songs on the CD include periods that lag or are just plain boring, and the overall experience is clumsy and uneven. On Pistolz & Pearlz, there are some promising tracks and ideas hidden beneath uninspired bloat and fluff.

Kodak is a divisive personality in the music business who doesn’t merit a comeback or another shot at the spotlight but also shouldn’t give in to his own vices. His darkest moments have been captured and shared on social media, where a gladiatorial audience is waiting to see how the damned will be judged. In the past five years, a lot of young artists have died from addiction. Even if Kodak looks too far gone, I hope he accepts the opportunity for recovery.