Music Review: Pusha T – My Name Is My Name

Pusha T has been hyping this new album up since he appeared on Kanye’s track “Runaway”. Then again, that was the true emergence of Pusha T the solo artist and not ½ of The Clipse. He threw a test press of what he had to offer with his earlier mixtape Fear of God and Wrath of Caine. As cool as it was, it did not show his true potential to make undeniable music. Still, with previous releases of tracks like “Nosetalgia” and “Money On The Boards”, Pusha’s buzz was hard to eclipse.

After a few good thorough listens to My Name Is My Name, it can be easily said that Pusha T is going extremely hard.

What I like the most is that he reaches for his own lane. Instead of hearing production from Pharrell all over this album, you get a bevy of producers to give him a different sound. The throwback era sounding “Numbers On The Boards” is easily an audible treat due to ominous production. The Kanye West and Hudson Mohawke produced “Hold On” gains plenty of punch from the auto-tuned wailing and piano driven loop. When you actually get to hear Pharrell, you got either the off-beat sounding “Suicide” or the dry dopeness in “S.N.I.T.C.H.”.  The biggest strength of the production is the detour off the beaten Pharrell path that Pusha T took.

Regardless of the diverse production, Pusha T still keeps his hands to the gravel (i.e. he continues to go hard). With tracks like “Nosetalgia” and “King Push”, there is no doubt about where the lyrics will be the majority of the time. With “King Push”, he has lyrics like “vultures to my culture/exploit the struggle/insult ya/they name droppin’about King coppin’/never been a foot soldier” booming through the ears. In comparison, “Nosetalgia” has him being extra flippant on the mic with “started off as a baby face monster/no wonder its diaper rash on my conscience/my teething ring was numbed by that nonsense”. Seeming no worse for wear, Pusha T still have the abrasively arrogant and agile lyrics that got him where he is today.

Pusha T achieved three main things on this album. For one, he proved that he could make a comprehensive project without all of his production coming from Pharrell. Another feat he achieved is holding on to his own personality and not conforming. Even bigger than the previous achievements is the fact that his album is purely dope. With all those things going for him, there is little doubt that listeners will have any problems with the name Pusha T.