Atlanta rapper
Lil Keed shouldered a lot of
Young Thug comparisons in his early days for his bleary, psychedelic personality and high-pitched vocals that veered dangerously close to
Young Thug's patented style. As not just a
Young Thug protégé but a signee to his label, the similarities
Lil Keed showed to his mentor made sense. His 2019 debut studio album,
Long Live Mexico, found
Keed branching out somewhat from his
Thugger emulation, showing a dexterity and versatility more his own. Second studio album
Trapped on Cleveland 3 backslides to earlier, deeply
Young Thug-indebted performances over atmospheric trap beats, padding out a lengthy running time with big-name features and several winning tracks among some enjoyable, if forgettable, filler.
Young Thug himself acts as the executive producer for
Trapped on Cleveland 3 and shows up on two of the 19 songs. Also along for the ride are
Future,
Gunna,
Lil Baby, and
Travis Scott, who drops in for a cameo on "Wavy (Remix)," one of the album's best and most accessible songs. ~ Fred Thomas