After the tragic passing of Brooklyn drill pioneer
Pop Smoke,
Fivio Foreign moved from contemporary to torch bearer, earning
Kanye and
Drake co-signs as he worked to expand on the genre that had taken New York by storm. On his first full-length album,
B.I.B.L.E., the rapper seeks to cement his legacy as both an ambassador for the city and a talent well beyond his drill origins. It's an album underscored by great expectations -- "Pop was the king of New York, Now I'm the n**** in charge" -- and
Fivio uses this platform to make a grab for stardom.
The majority of
B.I.B.L.E. roots itself in cross-over appeal, offering up drill fusions anchored onto familiar samples and big-hit collaborators. Nostalgic drill-ifications arrive in "What's My Name" (sampling
Destiny's Child's "Say My Name") and "World Watching" (a take on
Ellie Goulding's "Lights"), while
Ne-Yo appears over his sampled self ("So Sick") on the melodic "Love Songs." "City of Gods" even attempts to provide New York with a drill sequel to "Empire State of Mind," bringing back
Alicia Keys for a pleading, anthemic chorus. While the project's collaborators are on new footing in the drill arena,
Polo G and
Lil Yachty prove fierce contenders -- the latter barrages through "Slime Them" with his recently inherited, Michigan-style bravado.
But the true highlights of
B.I.B.L.E. come from
Fivio's growth as an artist. His pen game continues to level up from his outlandish "Big Drip" roots, his gift for flow remains unquestionable, and he even displays
Juice WRLD-esque singing chops on "Left Side." His solo cuts -- the poignant "Feel My Struggle," the sauced-out "Whoever" -- are refreshing and powerful, and he clearly has creativity to offer: "Through the Fire" is a frankly stunning fusion of
Ye's chopped-soul sampling and
Fivi's bass-ier origins. It remains obvious that
Fivi has a lot to offer -- fans of the New York rapper will no doubt expect great things from him on his next effort. ~ David Crone