An unexpected tragedy rocked the hip-hop community in late May when Metro Boomin took to Instagram to announce his retirement from music. A wave of confusion and mindless speculation ensued. Why would the super producer, who played a pivotal role in the ascent of numerous trap stars including Future, Migos and 21 Savage, suddenly step away from a wildly successful career at only 25 years old? It just didn't make any damn sense. Our national My personal nightmare ended when Young Metro posted a string of cryptic tweets teasing a return to music. That comeback turned out to be a solo LP and if all of his mini-hiatuses end with projects that are as show-stopping as Not All Heroes Wear Capes, I hope he takes them as often as possible.
No matter how gifted they are, hip-hop producers have a bad tendency of releasing underwhelming solo records. Industry titans such as Mike WiLL Made It, Southside and Zaytoven have all commissioned records that solely consist of subpar outtakes that seem like they were mercifully cut from their collaborator's albums. Not All Heroes Wear Capes bucks this unfortunate trend in triumphant fashion. Through his bold production that mixes nocturnal synths with flourishes of unconventional instrumentation/samples from all over the musical spectrum (blues, classical, soul, jazz, rock, EDM) and collaborations with a deep platoon of charismatic artists (Travis Scott, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, over a half-dozen others) that are perfectly-suited to perform over these darkly melodic beats that are almost always subtly changing, Metro is able to establish a sprawling, futuristic sound that is vividly fleshed out over the course of these 13 songs. As frequently as his work has impressed me in the past, the discipline and artistic vision that's required to create a record that flows this coherently with so many different people in front of the microphone could very well be the finest demonstration of his talent to-date.
While its ability to establish a consistent tone while using so many artists and arsenal of electrifying nuances present in the beats provided me with enough fodder to fuel numerous musicnerdgasms, the immense catchiness of these tracks ultimately serve as the driving force behind Not All Heroes Wear Capes' runaway success. There's a reason why Metro likes working with these artists: they simply float over sparse, atmospheric beats and specialize in delivering hooks that forcefully remain in the human brain for weeks, if not months at a time. Almost every track features a standout chorus or verse, but Swae Lee's mellow vocal melodies ("Dreamcatcher", "Borrowed Love") Gunna's hypnotic flow ("Space Cadet", "Lesbian") and 21 Savage's intense, frequently hilarious verses ("Don't Come Out the House", "10 Freaky Girls") have emerged as the marquee moments on subsequent listens. The replay value of Not All Heroes Wear Capes is shaping up to be tremendous and the top-notch contributions from this group of performers is a major reason why this record is so addictive.
To put it concisely, Not All Heroes Wear Capes is a towering achievement. Making a record that's this fun, exciting and consistent as a behind-the-scenes figure is the type of thing that helps turn artists into legends. Thanks for coming back to put the rest of the producers in the genre to shame Metro. Hopefully we hear from you again soon.
Grade: A-
Standout Tracks
1.Don't Come Out the House (feat. 21 Savage)
2.10 Freaky Girls (feat. 21 Savage)
3.Space Cadet (feat. Gunna)
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