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Album reviews Music

Rae Sremmurd

One of the most pleasant surprises in 2014’s rap world was the discovery of Mississippi-bred sibling duo Rae Sremmurd. With the help of Atlanta super-producer Mike Will Made It, 21-year-old Swae Lee and 23-year-old Slim Jimmy crafted some of last year’s most unhinged party jams (No Flex Zone, No Type). 

On SremmLife, the two are as enticingly unrestrained as their hit singles. Their voices stretch into a cavalcade of amped-up yelps, tics and animated spasms. Unlock The Swag features Lee and Jimmy shouting a rallying cry over Mike Will’s creeping hi-hats and extraterrestrial plinks. Up Like Trump’s ominous piano work gives their voices a veneer of menace. 

Despite Rae Sremmurd’s rep for hyped-up celebration songs, the album’s best moment comes when Lee and Jimmy eschew cranking up for something closer to cutesy romance. On This Could Be Us, they deftly flip a ubiquitous internet meme into a sweet paean to commitment. 

Top track: This Could Be Us

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