One of the star artists from the proliferation of punchline-focused Detroit scam rap, Babytron has been ever-present in underground rap talk since his comeup in 2019 with “Jesus Shuttleworth”. His debut mixtape, Bin Reaper, is a fantastic project worth discussion even 7 years past its release. If you enjoy rap music that titillates the mind, you will likely find yourself partial to his endeavors.
Scam rap is a unique subject of the rap genre, one that’s difficult to find parallels to outside of the particular niche. Typically utilizing a rapid rhyme scheme and pace, you’ll hear lyrics rife with reference to wire fraud, the dark web, credit card skimming and other such avenues of modern larceny. This is absolutely evident on “Bin Reaper”, with every track showcasing just how happy Babytron is to tell you about his penchant for swindling. Virtually every line on this record is engineered to entertain, speaking of his criminal competence with many mentions of 80’s and 90’s pop culture, especially in regards to basketball. The production is just as nostalgic, with bass-bumping punch and panache interwoven with sharply slicing digital percussion. It sounds devilishly delightful to the ear, a fantastic foil to his delivery.
Bin Reaper is 13-track tape that never lets up whatsoever. This project has a unique place in Babytron’s discography, due to it being his sole mixtape. This level of sussinctness is unusual for his releases, and it allows him to highlight how he’s honed his craft. In the modern rap scene, there’s an undeniable issue with albums being long-in-the-tooth, causing the record to drag out and dull with each subsequent track. This is avoided entirely here, and it’s quite refreshing to see. While the track “Jesus Shuttleworth” is regarded as the standout track, and I cannot bring myself to disagree, tracks like “Whoopty Fucking Do”, “Pro Surfers (feat. Rio Da Yung OG)” and “Scampire” are also great songs to put in your playlists. Ultimately, if you want some exciting rap songs that you truly can’t hear from anyone else, you would be well-served exploring this release for yourself.