D.R.A.M. must be the happiest man alive. I mean, the man is smiling on his album cover with a dog. Even his grimy tracks are so damn happy and inspirational. His heart has got to beat to the tune of Pharrell’s “Happy.” Even his sadder songs still sound pretty friendly. Now, don’t take that as shade; we need that sort of thing in hip-hop and music in general. 

In his first official LP, Big Baby D.R.A.M., the Virginia native floats over tracks that showcase his evolution into a bluesy rap-singer that is at a crossroads: does he continue the path he’s started for himself, or does he veer off the road and go to the road always traveled. Thankfully, he stays in the right lane and, for our troubles, we get a catchy, bouncy, murky album that knows exactly what it is. And that is this: it’s an album that shows a man who’s unlike your average artist in that, even when he’s down, he’s so damn upbeat and inspirational. While some songs do blend together, it still creates an overall chill-ass atmosphere that you can vibe with sober or lit.