REVIEW - Polo G: Hood Poet

 

Aight, check it. So this joint right here, I been waitin’ on it, feel me? I ain't really vibed with Polo G like that before, but to keep it real with y'all, I only heard one track from the dude. I'm tryna see if homie got that fire. This kid got potential, I really want him to blow up, word. Maybe it’s ‘cause he got a lil’ Craig G or Warren G in his name, I dunno, but I’m rootin’ for him to make it big. The album just dropped an hour ago, so let's see what it’s hittin’ for.

God's Favourite

Aight, this intro’s cool. Some chick singin’, then Polo G jumpin’ in with that smooth voice. I ain’t too crazy ‘bout the moanin’ he be doin’, but now he spittin’ and it's actually hittin'. My man’s levelin' up! This joint right here is dope, beat slaps, and the lyrics ain't too shabby either.

Beats - 7/10  

Lyrics - 8/10  

15/20

No Recruits

This one starts off real soft, almost too soft. I’m hopin’ he don’t get all singy on this one. Sounds like G. Herbo’s jumpin’ off, it’s decent but damn, there’s too many ad-libs. When these rappers stop droppin’ ad-libs at the end of every bar, that’s when we gon’ reach nirvana, yo. Polo G swoops in just in time when I was ‘bout to tell G Herbo to put a sock in it. He’s goin’ fast with an okay flow, lyrics solid but nothin’ too crazy. Remember though, fast rap don’t always mean good rap.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 6/10  

12/20

Barely Holdin On

Now he singin’ again. Son should really consider pop, ‘cause this is some clean pop vibes, no lie. The rhyme scheme’s cool, but he keep runnin' the same pattern, that 21 Savage influence peepin’ through. But Polo G, he keepin' it realer than 21 Crumpets. This track a lil’ too light for my taste, but it ain’t trash. It’s aight.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 7/10  

13/20

Only Gang

This one’s decent. Polo G spittin' proper, but yo, dude ain’t switchin' up his subject matter. The whole project so far tryin' too hard to be radio-friendly. Somethin’ harder, with more bass, would hit better. But damn, this 42 Dugg dude sound like his nose all clogged up, straight up.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 6/10  

12/20

Same Me

This intro weird, they got some dude named Fridayy singin’. Polo G switchin' up the topics, which is cool. This joint about some girl he missin’. It’s nice, but the second verse got some weak rhymes. Still got that radio-friendly vibe. It’s a solid track though.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 7/10  

12/20

Detox

I’m feelin’ this beat, it’s got a nice flow. Polo’s rappin’ solid, but he slurrin’ his words. Homie said he straight outta “Hard Knock Academy” and that’s fire. I think Polo might’ve been faded in the booth, slurrin’ random words and all, but it’s still aight.

Beats - 7/10  

Lyrics - 7/10  

14/20

Thorns

Ain’t nothin’ blown me away so far, but I’m still holdin' out hope. This one starts with soft guitar—oh great, more singin’. Most of this album seems aimed at radio cats. This track lowkey feels like bodega music, and some of the lyrics fall flat. Yeah, this dude’s too pop for me, I’m passin’ on this one.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

8/20

G63

This joint got Offset on it. Polo’s spittin’ again, and it’s solid. Feels like he tryna tell a story. But we still stuck on that pop sound. Lyrics kinda lazy here. I see the game now: that intro was a trap to reel you in. After that, it's all singin’ for the radio.

Beats - 7/10  

Lyrics - 5/10  

12/20

We Uh, Shoot

More generic pop beat vibes, but the flow’s on point. I don’t get how this dude sounds like he wanna go hard but just don’t. Maybe his label pushin’ for this safe, generic stuff. Lil Durk slid through and stole the show though, proved he can rap when he wants to. 

Beats - 3/10  

Lyrics - 8/10  

11/20

Rain Falling

I'm startin’ to realize everything on this album gon’ be pop. Polo G aiming straight for them charts. More singin' rap, and it’s okay, subject matter’s solid but damn, I’d switch up a lot about this joint. The Kid LAROI came through with some dope bars though.

Beats - 4/10  

Lyrics - 7/10  

11/20

Aight, we halfway through this joint and I gotta say, my problem with this album is the same as the first time I peeped Polo G: it's too mainstream, too soft. It's got that gangsta rap content, but the beats sound like some Ed Sheeran acoustic guitar stuff. If someone like Raekwon dropped this in the 90s, it woulda got tossed out as some soft R&B mess. So far this album feels like Raekwon over sleepy guitar. Seriously, some of these beats straight lullabies.

Distraction

Polo kick it off with: "I go so hard they steal this credit." Nah Polo, you only went hard on the intro. The rest is somethin’ Imagine Dragons would want credit for. No real rapper tryna be like you, the singin' guy. This track's cool, but I need some hard beats without all this singin' and guitar nonsense. I’m glad I downed an energy drink before this review.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 6/10  

11/20

No Turning Back

Some cat named Hunxho is on this one. He’s aight. Polo’s rappin’ again, spittin’ some personal bars. This dude always talkin’ ‘bout bein’ in ecstasy though, like he tryna be the next Nelly. That’s not a good look, homie just caught a case for that mess. But overall, the track’s decent, beats still too pop though.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

9/20

Angels in the Sky

This one caught my eye ‘cause of the title. I’m thinkin’ it’s ‘bout dead homies. Polo G rappin’ ‘bout life in the trenches. The spittin' is solid over this lightweight beat. He’s not singin' much here, thank goodness. But yeah, of course, he gotta sing the hook too.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 8/10  

13/20

Darkside

He’s spittin’ again, tryna end the album on a strong note. That’s cool. I’d love to hear him drop this kind of heat over some hardcore beats, maybe some G-funk. Dude got talent, no doubt, but he’d sound so much better over some harder production.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 8/10  

14/20

Bad Kids

This beat right here is fun, Polo spittin’ nicely. GloRilla on the track, she’s aight, not the best female rapper out there but I get the appeal. This one’s all about lust, straight up. GloRilla started makin' some weird noises, like she ran outta bars. But yo, this beat might be the best one so far.

Beats - 9/10  

Lyrics - 4/10  

13/20

Survival of the Fittest

More singin’, but at least the tracks don’t all sound the same, which is important. The lyrics here are cool, Polo spittin’ nice again. This is good rap, I might not bump it again, but I’ll remember I liked it.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 7/10  

12/20

Father's Day

This joint is nice, still got that pop vibe. Polo’s rappin’ about his son and fatherhood, and I’m really feelin' this one. This is his best work on the album, especially with them voicemails. It’s all men rememberin’ their fathers. Not knowin’ mine, this hit different. I love this track, it’s beautiful.

Beats - 5/10  

Lyrics - 8/10  

13/20

From the Heart

This beat got some kick to it, finally. I’m feelin' this, it’s a brag rap but Polo’s spittin' fire. This one’s raw, filled with passion, and the lyrics go hard, better than anything else on the album.

Beats - 6/10  

Lyrics - 9/10

15/20

Final Score: 219/360 - 60%

Best Track: Father’s Day

Favorite Track: Father’s Day  

Worst Track: Thorns (Honorable mention: those wack features that dragged down some decent songs.)

Conclusion:

Yo, so check it, this album right here is straight up pop. Polo G clearly got his sights set on the charts, tryna appeal to as many heads as possible. And yeah, he’s got a little somethin' for everybody—got some joints that hit, got some that miss. The man definitely leveled up since I last heard him, no doubt. But here’s the thing—dude needs to step away from all that soft guitar and sing-songy stuff. I’d love to hear him over some G-funk or harder beats; that’s where he’d really shine. But, props to Polo G for puttin’ in work. This album ain’t perfect, but it’s worth a listen. Good job, young blood. Keep grindin’.