If I had to summarize it in one word, California-based rapper Larry June’s highly anticipated new album, Orange Print (via The Freeminded Records/EMPIRE) is insipid. In competing with the likes of Grammy award winner Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, Vince Staples, and others, June falls flat. Orange Print is rap music that sounds like what people who hate rap music think rap music sounds like, and with whispers of June being the next big thing to come out of the golden state, this project showcases just the opposite.
This record begins with “From Uncle Herm, Pt. 3 (Intro),” a spoken word intro narrated by Herm Lewis. The speech is delivered over a looping assortment of instruments, none of which provide any real harmonic movement. However, the lack of motion in the arrangement parallels the hollow lyricism. Bars riddled with cliches about “real friends” and the factors of “success,” set a disingenuous tone that pervades throughout the record. Sonically, this track isn’t terrible, but because of the boring arrangement, it overstays its welcome, despite its brief runtime.
The looping instrumentation from the introduction is retained through the entirety of “Tangible Assets,” the second track on the album. Percussion finds its welcome place in the mix while Larry raps about the grind and his come-up in the rap game. This track, despite lacking a compelling structure, is a highlight on the album. It is one of the stronger lyrical exhibitions on the project, and Larry’s delivery suits the production well.
“Wait On Me” is a chilled-out departure from the comparatively more upbeat “Tangible Assets.” A subtle bassline, gentle strings, steady percussion, and various other instruments create a warm accompaniment. Larry raps about the dependability of one of his partners and if not for the lyricism, this song would be a pleasant addition to the tracklist. I have no significant issues with the instrumentation, arrangement, or production on the track. Unfortunately, the core lyrical theme of the track has been done a plethora of times by other artists, and this track brings nothing of value to the table. For example, Kanye West’s “Wouldn’t Leave” is a significantly better take on the concept.
Soft keys, trap rap percussion, and various synths accompany “6am In Sausalito.” This track, much like most of the other tracks thus far, suffers from bland production choices and poor lyricism. The arrangement is stale and the instrumentation is tame, especially when compared to his West Coast contemporaries. The lines on this song are uncomfortably lustful. At this point in the album, we’ve already learned too much about June’s sex life so we really did not need an entire song dedicated to those experiences. Again, at their cores, the lyrical themes on this record aren’t inherently bad; there are many songs by other artists written about these themes that convey their message effectively. However, there is no depth, complexity, or cleverness in most of what is being said here.
Fortunately “Intercepted” is a step up in quality on every front. The production on this one is easily some of the best on the record. The accompaniment revolves around a pitched vocal loop and consists of sharp percussion and a revving bassline. The lyricism, while still occasionally cliched, seems genuine on this one. Lines like “It was five in the mornin’, I was up, couldn’t sleep / And if I didn’t get that money then my son wouldn’t eat,” stand out as some of the most authentic on the record.
This breath of fresh air does not last long though, because “Organic Respect” and “You Gotta” immediately revert back to the mundane production and unimaginative lyricism that has plagued the record thus far. The instrumentation on both tracks sounds dated and the arrangements are virtually motionless. Empty lyricism pollutes the verses and the choruses, further tainting the tracks
“Still Cookin” continues the trend of weak lyricism while somehow managing to be worse on the production front than the two tracks that came before it. However, it is not the instrumentation that is the issue this time; the mixing on this track is absolutely horrendous. The mids are so muddy that I have a hard time believing that this isn’t just a demo track.
Fortunately, “Grand Nash Chronicles” featuring Trae Tha Truth improves on most fronts. Although the lyricism continues to exhaust the same themes that we’ve already seen time and time again on the record, the production is decent on this track. Larry’s delivery could be more convincing, but other than that, I have no major complaints.
“Say Less” is another highlight on the album. It revolves around a reverb-heavy guitar loop, featuring sub-bass, trap percussion, and accessory effects. This track is primarily chorus driven and it features DeJ Loaf on the hook, who is a very welcome addition. Hearing Larry “say less” was a relief, a strategy that probably should have been applied more throughout the record.
“Escrows And Orange Juice” is another monotonous song about Larry’s rise in the industry and the money he’s earned. That being said, the instrumentation on this track is still much better than the majority of tracks on the project, Larry’s delivery is passable, and there were no production missteps that I picked up on, so I did not mind this song.
“Iced Coffee” features electric piano stabs, various synths, a pitched vocal sample, reserved percussion, and warm bass. Once more, the lyricism is about women, but like “Escrows And Orange Juice,” the instrumentation is relatively interesting compared to most of the other songs, so it’s still in the upper echelon of the tracklist.
I don’t have much to say about the final track, “7 Mile Bike Ride (Outro),” other than that it is a completely unnecessary outro about money with a tiny bit of misogyny sprinkled in for good measure.
Orange Print is terrible, but on the bright side, it sets the bar so low that Larry June will inevitably release a better follow-up whenever he decides to do so. If the follow-up has meaningful lyricism, outside-the-box production, unique instrumentation, consistent sequencing, and a clear theme, it will be a great record. If there’s one thing Orange Print does right it is playing by the rules, but unfortunately, this results in a cookie-cutter experience that isn’t really worth the listener’s time.
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