Polo G – Hall of Fame

@Jamalbw96

Polo G has the potential to be part of the Hall of Fame one day. However, he still has improvement to make to reach that milestone. The prominent Chicago rapper has released his third studio album, ‘Hall of Fame’ featuring Lil Wayne, Young Thug, Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Lil Durk, Nicki Minaj and more. Polo G has undertaken this opportunity to exhibit his versatility. Despite his efforts, this has been a double-edged sword for the Chicago rapper, mainly because it has led to Polo G creating tunes for the fans to relish but has packaged an album with fillers too.

‘Hall Of Fame’ is 54 minutes long, with 20 tracks on the album focusing on the Chicago rapper’s pain, trauma, and mental health. These themes he dwells on reflects his upbringing in Chicago. Polo G doesn’t restrict his subject matters to his childhood as he raps on the challenges stemming from being a music star, hence the song ‘Rapstar’. ‘Hall of Fame’ was composed of multiple producers such as AXL, 1040, Einer Bankz, Wizardmce, Nato Kitch and more. Utilising numerous producers contributed to Polo’s versatility. The Chicago rapper focused on breaking away from his traditional sound as he received criticism for relying on the piano type instrumentals. Polo emphasising on using various sounds led to ‘Hall of Fame’ becoming rough around the edges due to dipping into different sub-genres such as rap-rock, Brooklyn Drill, Chicago Drill, and Trap music.

Polo G’s desire to being a versatile artist caused disadvantages for the album. One problem that occurred was the 20 tracks on ‘Hall of Fame’. 20 songs weren’t necessary for ‘Hall of Fame’ as it became monotonous to listen through, especially when some of these songs had average production. Several instrumentals using a guitar in the background sound similar and didn’t mesh with Polo G’s flow. The following songs, ‘Party Lyfe’ featuring DaBaby, ‘Broken Guitars’ featuring Scorey, ‘Zooted Freestyle’, ‘Heart of a Giant’ featuring Rod Wave and ‘So Real’ highlight this issue. Overall, these tracks were savourless fillers showing the rapper’s desperate attempt to break away from the piano instrumentals.

Also, the album had too many features, which a few lacked chemistry with Polo G. For the song ‘Party Lyfe’ featuring Dababy, it’s unclear what vibe the two rappers are setting. Both their verses, including their energy, fail to spark together. The repetitive guitar instrumental doesn’t help the two artists mesh either. Plus, the repetition in the instrumental repels you from taking in the song. This album would have been better if Polo G reduced the tracks from 20 to at least 14 songs as it would be concise in delivering the message it intended to do.

In other respects, the positives do outweigh the negatives in ‘Hall of Fame’. Polo G still wondrously delivered songs on ‘Hall Of Fame’ that showcase his thoughts on the trauma and pain he gained from his distressing lifestyle in Chicago. ‘Epidemic’, ‘GNF OKOKOK’, and ‘Bloody Canvas’ display these themes well. Polo G relies on his tranquil flow in ‘Epidemic’ to express the devastation from living in violent Chicago. He asserts, “Every day a gamble with your life, all we know is risk From the Windy City where you’re down to see the coldest s***”. The rapper builds on this lyric mentioning that he is sick of his loved ones dying, the ongoing violence with his foes and untrustworthy people. ‘GNF OKOKOK’ presents Polo G becoming a maniacal sociopathic man who will do anything to survive in the streets, even if it means murder. The rapper showcases in ‘GNF OKOKOK’ that this person is a product of the environment he describes in ‘Epidemic’. Polo’s aggressive rapping correlates well with the instrumental Wizrdmace produced as it contributes to the menacing vibrancy Polo founded for the song.

Polo G in ‘Bloody Canvas’ adds depth to the insane persona the Chicago rapper introduces in ‘GNF OKOKOKOK’ with his incredible storytelling. ‘Bloody Canvas’ is about a teenager wanting revenge for his friend’s murder and ends up doing 49 years in prison for accomplishing his goal. What makes the track phenomenal is Polo G’s lyricism as he describes the harsh reality thoroughly in his storytelling. The instrumental produced by SAFE places a poignant vibe to the song with the piano and melody in the background. The Chicago rapper should rap like this more often, ‘Bloody Canvas’, highlights the potential he has to become a top tier lyricist.

Although the album has its cons, Polo G delivered an adequate album for the fans to appreciate. The Chicago rapper released some great songs that exhibit his talents. The lyricism and the vibrancy are enjoyable to hear for some of the project. Hopefully, Polo G understands the mistakes he made with this album and uses this experience to prepare for his next body of work.

Check out Polo G ‘Hall of Fame’ below.