Editor’s Note: If you can’t tell by the title, this article contains mature themes and language. Reader discretion is advised
ALBUM: “shut the f— up talking to me” by Zack Fox
RELEASE YEAR: 2021
LABEL: Parasang
RATING: 6.2/10
BEST TRACKS: “mind your business” and “get off my d—”
FCC: Explicit language
Twitter personality, comedian, album art designer, and rapper Zack Fox blends humor with pure chaos on his new album, “shut the f— up talking to me.” Fox, well-known for his collaboration with Kenny Beats on their single “Jesus is the One (I Got Depression),” hasn’t exactly won over music critics with his controversial lyrics and outlandish humor. However, his reputation of making “joke rap” doesn’t mean that he isn’t capable of putting out an enjoyable product.
At just under twenty minutes, this album isn’t meant to be revolutionary or inspiring. It’s clear that the goal of this project was to create a short and enjoyable collection of songs that would get some laughs out of the listener. And in my opinion, goal achieved.
Fox’s humor, which is crude and ruthless, is present throughout the entire project. Here are some of my favorite lines:
Raise my hand up in the class and told the teacher, “Suck my d—“
“fafo” – Zack Fox
Kick a b—- n—- off a cliff without no parachute
F— n—- prolly callin’ 12 just like a Karen do
“uhh” – Zack Fox
My n—– barbaric, s— could get ugly as f— like Ed Sheeran
“shut the f— up talking to me” – Zack Fox
And that’s only a few of them.
While every song has quotable bars, “mind your business” and “get off my d—” are favorites of mine, and not necessarily because of the lyrics. They’re both incredibly fun and catchy, and they give Zack Fox a great opportunity to deliver solid punchlines over some of the smoothest beats I’ve heard this year. Sonically, the other tracks seem to suffer in comparison. For some of the other songs, the vocals reach a level of intensity that isn’t quite matched by the beats, which makes for a slightly awkward experience for the listener.
One example of this is Fox’s collaboration with The Alchemist on the title track, “shut the f— up talking to me.” Here, Zack Fox raps about throwing someone’s baby out of their carriage over a somewhat repetitive instrumental that doesn’t seem to reach a climax.
While these stylistic decisions are interesting, I’m not convinced that they belong together. And although it is nice to see Zack Fox delve into other styles of hip-hop, I would have preferred for the energy in “mind your business” and “get off my d—” to be present throughout the entire project, and I hope his future releases contain more of that energy.
Despite my criticisms of this project, it’s still worth a listen. Fox may not be the most skilled songwriter in the world, but “shut the f— up talking to me” manages to stand out in an ocean of new hip-hop releases. This album is a lot of things, but it’s certainly not forgettable.
Is this an AOTY? No, at least, not for me. But it has some catchy, well-produced songs that you can play at a party. And sometimes, that’s all you really need.
-Marshall Morgan
