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Ian O'Neill Smith has finally dropped his debut mixtape, titled Valedictorian, on all streaming platforms via Dogdog Records and Sony Music Entertainment. Smith has been going viral over the past several weeks for social media posts that have been consistently promoting his latest EP.
Building anticipation for the project, Ian released two singles, namely Figure It Out and Grand Slam, both of which have gone on to garner millions of views on Spotify, significantly increasing the online attention he was gaining.
Trending
The young producer turned rapper has some of the biggest names in hip-hop, like Drake, Russ, Lil Yachty, and more, following him on Instagram, where he has over 300,000 followers.
Breaking down Ian Smith's debut mixtape 'Valedictorian'
The album is relatively small, given the fact it's an EP, consisting of only nine full-length tracks, with none of them lasting longer than 2:30 minutes. The entire album's runtime comes up to 19 minutes, which is perfect for the rapper and the fanbase he's curated.
The songs on this project are enjoyable to listen to but aren't intellectually profound. At its roots, Smith's project draws a heavy resemblance to Yeat and his music, which is known for its visceral sonic value and not for its lyricism. That being said, some of the topics he touches upon include:
- Materialism
- Wealth
- Success
- Status
- Emotional Distress
- Family
- Brotherhood
Disclaimer: This review is rated explicit. Reader's discretion is advised.
Holiday Intro (Feat. DJ Holiday)
(Production Credits: sxprano)
The project is introduced by DJ Holiday, who explains his appreciation for Smith and his music, highlighting how he's managed to capture major attention from the entire "industry." He closes out his introduction by stating:
"I don't think you motherf--kers ready for this one / Without further ado / I bring to you, Valedictorian / This s--t 'bout to be insane, it's time, baby"
Never Stop
(Production Credits: sxprano)
Smith opens on this project with the TikTok famous Never Stop, where he explains his thoughts on the importance of staying true to yourself, trusting your own opinions, and avoiding the hate to remain focused on the bigger picture.
The beat is bouncy and perfectly captures the funky nature of the record, his vocal performance, and the lyricism. Some of the most interesting lines in this song include:
"You just gotta trust what's goin' on inside yo' gut / 'Cause they gon' try to tell you it's a problem when it's not, huh / Boy, go ahead and take it, if you want it, never stop, huh / So much dirty money, I need hand sanitizer, huh"
Bentayga
(Production Credits: sxprano)
On Bentayga, we begin to diverge from self-introspection into passable trap music with dry bars and hazy vocal performances. Credit is to be given for his cadence, which mixes well with Sxprano's production, but even that is insufficient to save the song's "skip" element.
"Bentley Bentayga with the Forgi-A's on, huh / I'm gon' maintain it, I can't make no friends, none, huh / I'm Usain runnin', way I chase the bag down / S--t, I'm flyin' towards the paper like my life depend on it, huh" - Smith raps on 'Bentayga'
AirBnb
(Production Credits: sxprano)
Ian taps into themes of materialism, wealth, success, and self-identity on AirBnb, making this track one of the standout records on his debut mixtape. Smith floats over the electric production, delivering some of his most funny but "serious" bars, expressing his defiance against those he considers below him on lines like:
"Just did my dishes in six-hundred-dollar denim, I still pray to God, but these a different type of Christians / My slippers Marni, look like I'm gon' steal your Christmas, my entire closet look like his entire wishlist / All that tough talk just not scary for me / That is not your house, that's an AirBnB"
Hermes Sheets
(Production Credits: sxprano)
Smith and sxprano bring a weird but intriguing production on Hermes Sheets, with the track filled with bells, whistles, and a taunting aura. The lyricism is pretty straightforward, with the rapper expressing his affinity for wealth, citing how his owning "Hermès" bedsheets is why he manages to sleep well, on lines like:
"Hermès bedsheets, I'm 'bout to get the best sleep / I get it fastly, they just can't understand it / It's nothin' flashy, spent a hunnid bands on 'em / He runnin' past E, I got a full tank on"
Omakase
(Production Credits: sxprano)
One of the most hilarious tracks on this project is the sixth track, titled Omakase, with Smith referencing Kid Cudi's Day n Nite to highlight his 24/7 grind. He also appears to take a slight shot at the "Megan Thee Stallion vs. Tory Lanez" trial when he states:
"I see yo' comments, lil' man, still can't give you the time of day / 3.5 in this wood, look like Megan Thee Stallion leg / My body wide, so I can't fit this Number / I shoulda never believed that b---h, and she should've never believed my a--"
Chauncey
(Production Credits: tana)
On Chauncey, which is a reference to Portland Trail Blazer's head Coach Chauncey Billups, we find the potential of Smith getting intimate with his emotions and personal life, avoiding the wealth flexing, to highlight the stress he deals with in maintaining his new life as a rapper on lines like:
"Eyes getting low and my shoulders is heavy / I know how it look, but I'm doin' alright / Hopefully soon I'll be over this s--t, but I know until then I'ma shove it inside / Momma just texted, I'm proud of you, son, and I know I'm not perfect, but, damn, I'm tryin"
Judgment
(Production Credits: sxprano)
In a very interesting turn of events, we see the various sides to Ian's artistry on Judgement, ranging from anger to remorse. His vocal performance on this track is completely on point capturing the emotion he wishes to display while aggressively stating lines like:
"When that day come, we gon' pay the same price / You out yo' damn mind, you ever try that back talk / I drive this car like I'm beefin' with the asphalt / You play my guy, that's some s--t that I can't laugh off"
Grand Slam
(Production Credits: sxprano)
The second most popular song on Smith's entire discography is Grand Slam, and for good reason given the bassy production, well-mixed vocals, and slurred delivery.
The track is interesting from a structural perspective as well, with the record extending for a 30-second instrumental outro before actually ending. Notable bars include the Breaking Bad reference on the chorus, with bars like:
"Scarеd that once I say it, I can't never takе it back / My hermano crazy about the pollo, Breaking Bad / Family-size this Wraith I drive, way too much room to spare uh / It's your time, just put your mind to it and get that s--t"
Figure It Out
(Production Credits: sxprano)
The closer on Valedictorian is the track that massively boosted the rapper's social media presence, titled Figure It Out.
After posting the song online, Smith's first single for the year blew up with the record currently sitting over 7 million streams on Spotify. The most quoted bar from this track includes:
"The way that I'm drivin' this Wraith, they 'bout to put me on suicide watch / Can't choose what color I'm feelin' today, thank God it's a two-tone watch / He don't like what I'm doin', he probably'll say it, but he'll never do some' 'bout it / My big brother like Marshawn Lynch, he'll run through somebody"
Smith's debut mixtape is an intriguing and entertaining project that highlights the rapper's talents as a performer, giving us an insight into the potential music we could receive from him in the future.
With co-signs from major artists and a music video from Lyrical Lemonade, Ian is set to have a potentially explosive career in hip-hop this year.
