Review: Brain's "I'm Brain" EP
If you're a true Lil Dicky fan, you may have known that David Burd was in the process of dropping an entire EP as his alter ego Brain. After releasing his popular single "Pillow Talk", Lil Dicky fans went mental over the debut of Brain, the lovable animated cerebellum who raps of craving sprite and his desire to party all night in the club. In "Pillow Talk", Lil Dicky teams up with Brain to absolutely destroy his one night stand from Minnesota with facts regarding topics such as war, vegetarianism and religion. Brain's honesty and hilariously brutal way of telling it like it is won the hearts of Lil Dicky fans within seconds, and we think it is absolutely brilliant Burd decided to play on the response.
"I'm Brain" is a 6-track project that incorporates humor, auto-tune, exceptionally hard-hitting beats and lyrical genius. LiL Dicky is often heard having back-and-forth conversations and arguments with Brain over several different scenarios, showing the inner workings of what Dave must go through on a regular basis. Even though the project is meant to be comedic, one cannot deny that the songs are way above average with fast raps and a clever play on words- regardless if Burd is playing the role of Brain or opting to perform as himself. One of the things that shot Lil Dicky to fame in such a short time was his ability to create a story in each and every one of his songs, portraying his intelligence and undeniable talent surrounding his craft. Whether the Pennsylvania native is rapping about losing the love of his life to another man or simply just throwing up after taking too much MDMA, the outcome is always going to be incredible (and hilarious).
"On Smash" feat. Lil Dicky is the first track on the EP, going in ridiculously hard with the bass heavy beat right from the jump. In his introduction verse, Brain talks about how many babes he gets on a daily basis and how little of a f*** he gives. Lil Dicky's verse similarly discusses the cornucopia of high-quality women he has at his disposal, but promises the fame and ladies have not, and will not change him.
The second track titled "Cocaine" feat. Lil Dicky has to be our favorite, making us laugh all while impressing us with the suave instrumental and clever lyrics. Lil Dicky raps about a scenario he managed to get himself in to where a California babe is trying to get him to do cocaine, but is scared as he has never tried cocaine before. Instead, Lil Dicky chooses MDMA and gets sick, causing Brain to scold him and blame him for ruining everything as usual. The third track "Whipping' It Up" feat. Lil Dicky is probably our second favorite song because of the fire beat and classic Lil Dicky rap style, resulting in us breaking the repeat button.
The fourth track titled "Brainstorm" is a track in which Brain performs solo, and we are not really feeling it. The beat was way too pop-esque and we think Lil Dicky missed the mark with this one. However, the fifth track that follows immediately after titled "F Slo" feat. Lil Dicky makes up for it in a big way. Lil Dicky comes in immediately with his quick raps and his vocals are intertwined with Brain's in a rapid call and response vibe. The melody is catchy and the repetitive lyrics in the chorus make this one particularly notable.
"Interlude" is a cute little skit in which Lil Dicky asks Brain if he can take the lead on the last track. Brain agrees if Burd promises to go hard, which he does of course, bringing us to the last track on the project titled "How Can U Sleep" feat. The Game. In this track, Burd discusses how insignificant the other rappers in the game are to him, a theme in which he has touched on many times before. He talks about how no one believed in him and laughed at his dream of becoming one of the big names, prompting him to ask his haters how they feel about him now. Rapper The Game appears on the second verse, similarly mocking artists in present day 2017 and ending the EP with a powerful message and presence.
This EP is without a doubt a 9/10 due to its originality, comedic approach and overall quality. One of the first things Lil Dicky said upon entering the rap world is that he wanted to change the game along with the way the world perceives rappers, and we think he has executed his goal flawlessly. There is no one out there like Lil Dicky, and we will be first in line for any project his name is attached to.