Why Is @CurrenSy_Spitta Still Underrated? – An SOTB Rant

Rant time. This time we’re talking Curren$y instead of, say, Big K.R.I.T.

Now, before I begin, I know what you’re thinking. “How can Curren$y be considered ‘underrated’ in any way? He got a Lil’ Wayne cosign when that meant the world. He’s been high on the list of many a hip-hop aficionado for the past few summers. Canal Street Confidential was received pretty well, even though it was a bit uneven. The Pilot Talk series is legendary.”

“Oh, he’s worked with everyone from Big K.R.I.T. to Kendrick Lamar to Wiz Khalifa. He makes Lil’ Wayne actually spit versus Auto-Tune the hell out of his bars. If anything, some may argue he’s overexposed in certain fields of hip-hop.” To that, I want to point you to his 2016 series of mixtapes (some of which I’ve included below). While critically-acclaimed and dope as hell, the projects haven’t caught the eyes of casual fans like, say, Views or the latest Lil Uzi Vert project. I’m not caping for Curren$y, because screw that noise. But, as a champion of dope-ass sounds, I’ve got to pose the question. Why is Curren$y still one of those underrated artists?

Like K.R.I.T., Curren$y is versatile in his style, but his style is still grounded in some ground rules. Let’s live the jet life, let’s keep things on another level, let’s give the world solid flows about pimps and hoes while still speaking on the socioeconomic insanity that is life as a Black man. Those are simple rules to live by. But, because of these rules, like artists such as Pusha T, you get Joe Public saying “well, they’re limited.” That’s typically said while, ironically, replaying that one song that sounds like Fetty Wap, but may or may not be 21 Savage…or Lil’ Yachty. I know, it’s crazy, ain’t it?

Now, while the lavishness of Curren$y is something you can’t ignore–it helps make up a good portion of who he is as an artist–there’s more to the New Orleans native. For instance, the man can tell a story with the best of them. I know that several people have pointed out this song, but let’s look at “Paternity Test,” from his 2009 project Independence Day.

Many folks have done songs about possibly having kids. But, the laid-back flow Curren$y gives us on this one helps elevate it. It’s not manic enough to make you wince at the situation and avoid it like the plague, but it’s not sleepy enough to just make you zone out. It’s the perfect amount of cool, chill, and attentive. Speaking of his flow, even when the story being told is rattling and earth-rocking, Curren$y just floats over productions and delivers. In being so effortless in his flow, some may confuse that with a lack of effort, if they’re just listening at the flow and the beat (stop doing that, guys). That’s something that should be avoided, since if you just vibe and smoke sum’n with the chill flow, you’ll miss some pretty sweet bars and a crazy-ass work ethic.

The man’s dropped a mixtape a month and has given us (so far) ten looks into his life and the life of someone trying to make it. On top of that, each mixtape this year has featured different production than the last, so it’s legitimately been ten different looks at the life. From Cookin’ Soul to Alchemist to Cool & Dre, Spitta has delivered music to the tunes of enough producers to make your head spin, just this year. Not too many artists have been able to drop monthly projects without having a significant dip in quality, but there’s been no drop in quality. Each one has been just as fire as the last.

Ultimately, I don’t know why Curren$y is underrated. I don’t have the answers, Sway. But, if you need some dope music in your life, you can do a helluva lot worse than Spitta.