Cop @Saudi_rsa D.R.U.G.S Inc Album Today !

The album is finally here! Msotra's shining boy, Saudi drops off his debut album titled D.R.U.G.S Inc ((D)evil's (R)evenge (U)pon (G)od's (S)ervants (I)s (N)ot (C)rime) and it's something of black boy magic. The sounds on the album, unique to Saudi, sport a different take on trap - then again, this is an African Trap Movement scholar we're dealing with. 

He opens the album with the very mellow 325 Spin, I swear, I never thought a song influenced by or referenced from a car could ever sound so emotional and romantic. Saudi sends his prayers to the heavens as he reflects on his life and how far he's come. He sips into Boda Tonight, a live like there's no tomorrow typa anthem which pleasantly houses a West-coast atmosphere in the production. By the second track, if you weren't a fan of Saudi, you already are one. We get into the familiar Dark Dindy which he recently dropped as a single alongside his brothers Emtee and Sjava. A perfect ghetto love song, it will never get old.

From melanin popping in the previous song to him making it Drip, Saudi takes it to the water source for an intimate session with his fantasy while also playing on multiple forms of this life giving liquid. Has someone sent a telegram to Khanyi Mbau yet? Yo'll sleeping on Saudi man. We get a tinge of that West-coast flavour again when Anymore falls in and it's not a happy scene. Saudi is being taken for a ride by his heart's desires, this makes us feel hurt on his behalf. That doesn't keep him down for long however, 'cause How Does It Feel is a triumphant song about making it despite the nay-sayers, as well as challenges that have been placed in his path. Can we just say that Saudi has a very calm way of delivering on any topic in this album? It has a lot to do with his aura as a whole. He's got that hopeful and reassuring factor in his voice, whether he's down or celebrating on a track is irrespective. We believe that's what keeps the album together. HIM. Make You Proud picks up from where How Does It Feel left off, but this time around it's on a more personal note. Instead of a straight victory anthem, Make You Proud is more like a prayer to actually prevail, making your parents indeed proud to have you as their seed. We continue to relate to this one.

Who is Melissa Pink honey? Shu! By the time you get here, Saudi is no longer in heartbreak but has his sights set on this mystical sounding creature to which he croons about. It's so beautiful to follow the story of him and Melissa throughout the song despite their apparently different backgrounds. That's the catch, he's found something almost perfect, so perfect to him that he can't be totally honest about who he really is. Tricky. Ingathi things didn't work out noMelissa 'cause now he's got sides, on sides, on sides. Saudi wang'kgathatsa! I think we need to align him with All You Need Is Love so we can help him find "the one," wabona? But on the really, Saudi manages to make this tricky sounding situation of multiple sides sound so good - it's the music. You can also hear within the song that he yearns to be a complete someone who's adequate for one person. Auuuww... D.R.U.G.S Inc definitely has you feeling like you're tapping into another side of Saudi, the inherent lover in him.

We get another familiar track in Msotraman for the streets and it's a dope prelude to the next track, Pull Up featuring Emtee. The music gets a bit dark and menacy on this track as they remind you not to mess with them. You've heard Emtee and his squad on many occasions promise an unpleasant time for anyone who disrespects the team. You don't want it with ATM yo! Let me tell you about how many times I had to replay Afrika just to grasp Saudi's words on here. He flexes some mad slang delivery as he dances on this mid-tempo beat. This track, for me, is definitely the precise illustration of what African Trap means. We can't get over Saudi's flows on here, if you're not careful you'll find yourself left in the hook. UNGASALI. 

As we near the closing of the album, Msotraman slows it down for us. He's human, has aspirations, feelings, hopes and disappointments just like all of us. On Change On Me he pays homage to his brothers in ATM who have held him down, encouraged him and have given much of themselves for him to be where he is. It's so heartwarming to listen to the brotherhood through song on this track. Beautiful. Saudi will not let us leave his album without exposing us to his smooth operator and we hear it in Watching Us. I'm gonna go right ahead and call it, Saudi is a sweet romantic, a gangster one at that. Shu! This track is so grown and sexy, this added with how the song builds up in the different pockets is brilliant on the producer's end. He's sending us off with Guala and Addicted, where the former deals with money in its entirety. From the pursuit, to owning it and how you act when you have it, Saudi even gives some advice on how to be about the money. Teach us teacher! The album comes to a close on a high with Addicted which sports some crazy production. Here go those musical pockets with the song transitioning so many times, but you can miss the subtle parts where that happens if you're not paying attention. Saudi wraps up with fiends that he's hooked to, one being love (I insist on this guys, listen closer) amongst other D.R.U.G.S.

This album gives us an array of Saudi's musicality and more than anything, confirms his unique sound. I don't think anyone can replicate this man's sound - angeke. Although the album has a bit of a rollercoaster feel to it, in terms of following it in moods, the compilation itself houses beautiful work by Saudi and his producer(s) which taps into a side of him you didn't know yet. Impressive work. 

Get it on iTunes right now!