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A week after delivering his fourth studio album to streaming services, Lil Baby has returned with the official deluxe to WHAM (Who Hard As Me), which was distributed to DSPs today via Quality Control Music and Motown Records.
Before the Deluxe's streaming release, Baby had made the LP available for purchase on his official website as a digital download, resulting in the added tracks being leaked online on platforms like X and YouTube.
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This week several publications reported that Lil Baby's fourth studio album was on pace to debut at No.1 on Billboard 200. Internet personality DJ Akademiks also tweeted that the project had garnered over 100,000 album-equivalent sales in its opening week.
If true, this would mark the Atlanta rapper's fourth consecutive chart-topping album, officially following up on the commercial success of 2022's It's Only Me, which sold 216,000 album-equivalent units in its opening week.
Breaking down Lil Baby's new 'WHAM' Deluxe album
Originally featuring 15 full-length records, Lil Baby's WHAM Deluxe now includes four additional songs, bringing the project's runtime to 49 minutes.
The new records include a surprise feature from Atlanta hip-hop icon Future, who previously appeared on track 2, titled Dum, Dumb, and Dumber, alongside frequent collaborator Young Thug.
The new four records included on Lil Baby's WHAM Deluxe appear to explore similar themes as songs released on the original album, delving deeper into ideas of success, loyalty, relationships, and legacy.
Disclaimer: This review is rated explicit. Reader discretion is advised.
99 (feat. Future)
(Production Credits: BabyWave, Wheezy, Dez Wright, and 9Jay)
Lil Baby and Future team up for their second collaboration on WHAM, delivering a hard-hitting trap production on a record titled 99.
Although their performance on Dum, Dumb, and Dumber was significantly more impactful, the playful lyricism on 99, fueled by pop culture and hip-hop references made this record an interesting listen.
"Ain't no foldin' up, I'm solid / I'm the inspiration, they don't know what to do until I do it / Rockin' Air Force Ones like Nelly and his crew back in '02 / I'm like Tyreek Hill, they give me a lil' gap, I'ma run through it / I'm gettin' paid whenever I move / Feelin' like Wocka, then let's do it"
Idol
(Production Credits: EZ Money, 2teflon, BeatsByJuko, and Lulescu)
Listeners are immediately delivered an anthemic record titled Idol. Its high-energy production draws listeners into Lil Baby's powerful lyricism as he tackles themes of loyalty, self-respect, dedication, and maturity.
Over a single verse, running for a total of 1:48 minutes, these themes are best evidenced on lines like:
"All this sh*t I had to make through my hand fu*ked up / Ran me a up a bag, I'ma keep it goin', buy some more drugs / Only get to live once, you better live it up / Once you get some sh*t to cherish, gotta put it up / Gotta fight until you die, it ain't no givin' up / I'ma tell you how it is, I ain't shy / After school, I was sellin' narcotics"
Running This Sh*t
(Production Credits: Wheezy and D. Rich)
Lil Baby's menacing production on Running This Sh*t creates a perfect atmosphere for the rapper's aggressive lyricism, where he targets critics and those who dismiss his status within hip-hop.
While most of the track revolves around Baby's success as a rapper, a few bars caught attention online after fans claimed he was dissing Gunna. These online claims stem from their ongoing beef, which started after the latter's release from the YSL RICO trial.
"I don't care what he did, he a rat still (Fu*k him) / And I said what I said, don't at me (Yeah) / Street rapper, contract, top athlete (Yeah) / Two M's out the tap, that was last week (Paid) / Low-key, but the blogs still attack me (Why?) / T'd up, I been turnt since the backseat," Lil Baby raps on 'Running This Sh*t'.
My Shawty
(Production Credits: BabyWave, Tsunami Baby, James Maddocks, and Joe Stanley)
Lil Baby ends his WHAM Deluxe album with an emotional cut titled My Shawty, where he spends his verses speaking to his love interest, highlighting the massive love he harbors for her.
The entire track is built around Baby reminiscing on memorable moments from his relationship, supported by a melodic and emotional vocal performance from the Atlanta rapper. Notable bars from My Shawty include lines like:
"This feel like it's supposed to be / Locked my heart and lost the key / You actin' like you got a spare / What they say 'bout you, I don't care / What they say 'bout me, you don't hear / On some boss sh*t, wear Chanel / I won't even try you like that anything you like I buy it / I can see just why you wifed it"
In other news, Billboard recently named Lil Baby's sophomore studio album My Turn as the biggest rap album of the century. The project was released in 2020, reportedly going quadruple-platinum over the past five years, with more than four million units sold in the United States.
