Shawn Russell Johnson
If you guys at home know any of us here at The Wook of Wall Street then you know that we all stan Troyboi hard. So when he dropped V!BEZ, Vol. 3 EP last Friday, we were all ears. While maintaining some of the standard tropes we’ve come to know and love from our trap-star overlord, there were a few things that left me wanting.
Opening up the EP is “PAPI CHULO,” a relatively simplistic track that focuses on restraint rather than overstimulation. With its thundering sub-bass and murderous hihats, it embodies many of the typical trap stylings that are prominent in the genre right now, but it feels a bit more like a hip-hop instrumental than your typical trap banger. While this is relatively common in TroyBoi’s catalog, it felt a little dragged here and didn’t grab me as much as I’d have hoped from the EP’s first track; which is surprising from a track marked as the EP’s single.
“BAILE,” is a swaggering stutter-step of a track that feels a little more complete. While also cashing in on TroyBoi’s mastery of chopped vocals, it’s the rhythmic chime hits in the background that grabbed me and carried me through the dozens of listens I’ve had this weekend. There’s also the tribal nature of the percussion that rambles throughout the production.
“HIGH (feat. YAS),” is gorgeous. It’s a step in the opposite direction of what we’ve come to expect from TroyBoi, but it’s still got enough of his characteristic flow to not stray too far from home; especially during the track’s breakdown in the second half. Hard-stepping away from the atmosphere woven in the first half, TroyBoi tosses in some grinding synths that swing way left of the original composition. The first time I listened, I was thrown for a loop and wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it. But the more and more I listened, the more and more I appreciated the misdirection.
The second to last track is “WARLORDZ (feat. Skrillex). This is my least favorite track that I think I’ve ever heard from TroyBoi. To be honest, it sounds way more like it should be Skrillex (feat. TroyBoi) rather than the reverse, but I think that’s just because it’s plain to hear Skrilly’s definitive sound design on a TroyBoi track. It’s got riddim flavoring with a sprinkle of trap, and that immediately is the turn off for me, dog.
The final track on the EP is hardly new, and to be completely honest I was a bit thrown off as to why “Do You?” was even included. It seems a bit odd to include a track that has been released for 4 years. But who knows, some claim that it’s the first official release of the track on TroyBoi’s SoundCloud but I feel like I’ve seen it on there before.
While I still may revel in the glory and perfection that is a TroyBoi live show, his studio releases of late have left me in the curious predicament of yearning for more. I’m not sure if he’s just one of those producers who is infinitely better flowing on-stage than he is putting music online, or if there’s something more I’m missing.
What did you think of V!BEZ, Vol. 3? What was your favorite track? Tell us in the comments!