It’s the year of the victory lap in hip-hop. Of course, Kendrick Lamar’s prolonged rollout cycle post “Not Like Us” takes precedence in that regard, but the continuing trend of new deluxe addendums a few weeks after earnest project releases means GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion, and eventually, SZA, are in on that action as well. Denzel Curry is the latest—after dropping his King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2, the Florida MC is revisiting the project by giving it an album-quality update. Here’s everything new that Denzel Curry has added via this deluxe effort.
Denzel Curry Adds A Chiller Dimension To Latest Album
In order, the once-Raider Klan rapper adds “ACT A DAMN FOOL,” “GOT ME GEEKED,” “P.O.P,” “ANOTHA LATE NITE” and “STILL IN THE PAINT” to the project’s tracklist, now rebranded as simply King Of The Mischievous South. Going in order, “ACT A DAMN FOOL” is the song that best delivers on the LP’s title, uniting Klan alumni Slim Guerilla and fellow “new south” artist Duke Deuce on a true anthem. The song is dripping with Three Six Mafia influence, which is not a shock for longtime Denzel devotees who know he’s among the group’s biggest fans personally and through his releases. Given the fiery material he usually presents, it’s a nice change-up to see Curry take on a more reserved, cool demeanor on the song instead of ceding the amplified Juicy J role to his features on the track.
The middle three additions speak to the new dimension that this deluxe adds to the Denzel Curry release as a whole, a new downtempo element that, while it didn’t detract from the original’s quality, was missing from its tracklist. “ANOTHA LATE NITE” is a particular highlight in that regard, showing off some ground-level storytelling:
“Said ‘Be there by 5 AM,’ end up there by 4:54
Went from Carol City to a neighborhood that’s full of zoes
‘Welcome to my home, bae,’ say it’s been a long day
Then she pull some weed out, said ‘Crush it in your palm, bae.'”
“STILL IN THE PAINT” Marks Biggest Anthem On This Denzel Curry Deluxe
Finally, “STILL IN THE PAINT,” released as a single in the lead-up for this Denzel Curry deluxe, is a perfect book-end in terms of energy. It kicks things up a notch in a significant way, built on the Waka Flocka Flame modern standard while giving it a new coat of paint instrumentally. While it shuffles into a long catalog of high-energy bangers in the Denzel Curry catalog, if anything, it speaks to the accessible, commercial lean of this project, relying on a well-trod formula of sample-heavy singles while still maintaining his trademark artistic quality.
All told, the first version of King Of The Mischievous South had endless replayability material and sticky singles in its original form. Still, with the release marking another high-water mark for the Florida MC, its victory lap is well-deserved and will likely keep its run in the consciousness going for an extra mile. Check out the Denzel Curry deluxe now wherever you stream your music.
Elsewhere in our coverage, the aforementioned Glorilla – Glorious sees the Memphis MC stamp her mainstream ascent.
