Lil baby Success can be seen in the golden records lining his walls, but it can only be truly understood by listening to the opinions of those around him. Signed as a quality control teenager, he was drawn to the nickname by his irrepressible energy, and the hype surrounding him in Atlanta. Organic success storythere’s a feeling sometimes that Lil Baby sleeps outside his circles — but “WHAM” should change that.
American rap’s first defining moment of 2025 — just three days into the year — “WHAM” distills Lil Baby’s power into a thick, relentless elixir. Constantly switching flows, his snare-leaning vocal thirst was rarely consistently effective. It’s a record full of gems, confirming his dominance in the upper echelon of US rap.
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“WHAM” begins with a true statement of intent – a follow-up single to his craft, and “Listen Up” dominates your headphones by building a 360-degree sonic world and his lyrical prowess. Then it moves straight into the record’s most headline-worthy feature – Young Thug’s return to the mic after his legal troubles. Powered by Future, it’s an amazing moment, and it actually happened It has already caused a stir on social media.
It’s to Lil Baby’s credit that this undoubted climax is backed by real consistency. There are details here – the plucked string weirdness of “I Promise” or the gritty, muscular power of “Due 4A Win”; The pleading verses of “So Sorry,” built delicately on top of each other, match the bombastic, arena-filling piano riff of “Say Twin.”
A record that sounds uniquely eclectic and specific, “WHAM” packs a great deal of detail into its 15-track, 41-minute run. The neo-psychedelic production boom of “Free Promo” demonstrates his control over the studio, but the roll call of features — GloRilla, Rod Wave, an electric Travis Scott — demonstrates the respect Lil Baby commands from his peers. If “WHAM” is the point where the rest of the world catches up, that’s fine — sometimes, real talent will emerge.
8/10
words: Robin Murray
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