Lil Baby and Lil Durk released their anticipated collaborative album, “The Voice of the Heroes,” Friday, June 4. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Lil Baby and Lil Durk’s new collaborative album “The Voice of the Heroes,” released June 4, boasts strong lyricism and some of the greatest names in modern hip-hop.
Although Baby and Durk’s sounds are complementary to each other throughout each track on “The Voice of the Heroes,” the project favors Baby. Durk proves that his writing is strong and his melodies are above average, but it’s evident that Baby steals the show. “The Voice of the Heroes” is proof that Baby will be at the forefront of hip-hop for years to come.
Atlanta-native Dominique Jones, known as Lil Baby, and Chicago-native Durk Derrick Banks, known as Lil Durk, have recently dominated hip-hop. Both Baby and Durk saw excellent reception to individual projects released last year.
Baby earned two Grammy nominations for his song “The Bigger Picture,” off of his 2020 album, and “My Turn,” which climbed to number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart for five weeks in June and July 2020. Durk had two Grammy nominations in 2020 and his project “The Voice,” charted at number three on the Billboard 200 albums chart after its release in December 2020.
This collaborative album begins with the title track “Voice of the Heroes.” Like many that follow, this track is full of impressive storytelling by both artists, along with an infectious chorus. Still, Baby outshines Durk on this track — and many others — as Baby’s nonchalant flow and vulnerability make him shine through.
Following the catchy song “2040” comes a Durk-carried track: “Hats Off,” featuring Travis Scott. As much of an eye-catcher as the feature is, Scott’s verse fails to offer anything unique to the track. Durk, however, provides an impressive verse full of witty punchlines and an infectious flow.
Although a source of some good flows and wordplay, none of the features on this project were able to provide verses that were on the same level as Baby or Durk. Meek Mill’s verse on “Still Runnin,” while energetic and catchy, was repetitive and unoriginal. Young Thug on “Up The Side” attempts to sing with a hoarse tone that fails to match the energy of the track, and Rod Wave on “Rich Off Pain” sings a rather forgettable chorus that takes away from honest performances by both Baby and Durk.
The features may have failed to push the album in a better direction, but Baby and Durk have no trouble doing that on their own. When the two are hot on a track, they’re hot. The problem is, there are a fair amount of filler tracks on the project.
While it’s hard to pinpoint songs that negatively impact the sound of the project, there are a handful of songs that sound monotonous and unemotional. Tracks such as “Still Hood” and “Medical” still contain decent verses and instrumentals, but don’t further the project sonically or lyrically.
That is not to say that there aren’t extreme highs on the project too. “That’s Facts” is a simple but energetic track with performances flooding with confidence by Baby and Durk.
“If You Want To” features Durk’s best verse on the project. His self-assured tone and aggression skyrockets the energy of the track immensely. While moments like these from Durk gave incredible energy to the project, Baby’s versatility is ultimately what made the album stand out.
“The Voice of the Heroes” may not be the most original-sounding project, but it is also proof that Baby and Durk are some of the best at their roles in hip-hop. Even during an era in which collaborations like this one are frequent, this project will be sure to stand out as a highlight from the past few years.
Rating: 3.5/5
