I did a double-take upon seeing the word “childish” next to tiny, colorful album art that I quickly (stupidly) mistook for a surprise Gambino release. The culprit was Childish Major, a producer turned artist best known for the Rick Ross-Future-Rocko (lol) smash “U.O.E.N.O.” as well as production credits on J Cole’s latest offering 4 Your Eyez Only. His production history is rather random, and some of that randomness comes to play on his second official release as an artist Woo$Ah. The project takes an R&B bent and offers some live instrumentation while still featuring the 808 drum kits we know and love.
Childish Major, born in South Carolina and raised in Atlanta, clearly made some friends in the industry over the years. His lineup of guest features is impressive, but they really don’t steal the show. Major could certainly have ridden the coattails of Isaiah Rashad and SZA to a hit on “Happy Birthday,” but instead does most of the work himself. The lively drums and subdued guitar chords are a pretty basic backdrop as Major brings high-energy raps insulting his girl about her perceived selfishness. Rashad has a verse of his own, matching Major’s tempo and energy well while SZA contributes to the second bridge and provides pleasant backing vocals on the chorus. However, the two fit rather unassumingly into the project. The same can be said for 6lack and DRAM on “I Like You,” one of the album’s highlights. A lighter drum kit, fluttering synths, and a touch of soulful guitar set the scene for Major and a girl trying to get into it with each other despite other relationships they are in. Major switches into more singsong raps reminiscent of Jeremih, and 6lack plays to his strengths by doing the same. DRAM is tough to locate on the track (weird for him), but my theory is he’s on the vocals for part of the outro. Point being, neither of these established stars manage to steal Major’s thunder.
So, what else is there here? The R&B-flavored tracks seem to be Major’s strength, such as “Shame.” Live instrumentation again proves fruitful as a simple drum backing and punchy guitar chords set the stage for Major’s melodic musings about shame and blame between he and his romantic partner. Major displays an uncanny ability to mold his singing/rapping based on the mood and tempo of the production. While softer and more sung on “Shame,” Major pulls a 180 for album closer “NoEyeInTeam.” Over a loud, trap-influenced beat, Major raps about how making it big is a team effort. It sounds like much of what has been leaving Atlanta for the last four years, and that’s why there’s only two of these tracks on the project. It’s not a bad track by any means, but it’s not going to get Major anywhere. The same can be said for opener “Aim High”; it’s not a bad song, but the subject matter and sound are generic.
Major finds success when he flips “Aim High” on its head. “Woo$ah” is the next track on the project, and Major goes from upbeat and optimistic to frustrated and searching for answers. The 808s are replaced by a smooth guitar lick, some audio effect that sounds like wooden wind chimes, and live drums. The subject matter and beat contrast nicely, and Major again molds his flow to the mood of the song by rapping matter-of-factly while slipping into subtle harmonies for the chorus. “No Nightmares” is another interesting track because the heavy, syrupy, Houston-esque beat seems an odd companion for Major’s lighter melodies and the backing vocals, but it works. “Supply Luh,” produced by J Cole, is a bit of a miss for me, as the stiff beat doesn’t quite match up with the soft, sung vocals.
Childish Major went two years between projects, which is a shame for the listeners. By and large, this tape was mood music at its best and gave the listeners a little bit of everything. No matter what your hip-hop/R&B tastes are, there were at least two or three songs on this you probably liked. I thought “I Like You” and “Shame” showed a lot of promise in the way of more R&B material, but the more hip-hop oriented “No Nightmares” still made an impact. Major smartly leveraged his connections within the industry to put more eyes on his project without letting the guests get the better of him. The success with live instrumentation was to be expected from such a prolific producer, but the skill shown behind the mic makes me think Childish Major might be moving out from behind the boards more often.