Lute's new album, Gold Mouf, is his second studio album. Dreamville Records and Interscope Records put out the album on October 4, 2021. What further makes it interesting is the significance of the title of the album.
As stated by Wikipedia, the album's title, Gold Mouf, refers to Lute's alter ego. In the song "Under the Sun," he first revealed his identity. In a 2019 interview with XXL, Lute discussed his current projects, saying:
"I'm working on three different projects right now. I got some shit for the hip-hop niggas, some shit for niggas that wanna hear me on upbeat-type shit and then I got some shit that's completely left field that I just want to experiment with. I’m just trying to experiment with music because I don't want to be put in a box. I don't want to be just a hip-hop artist. Niggas know I can spit, but at the same time I want to make music that got replay value."
Lute had said that he doesn't want to be just a hip-hop artist. Instead, he wants to experiment with his music. This is significant because in the album you will see him exploring different sounds that are more than just hip hop but sort of has neo-soul or R&B into it.
What makes this album significant? Before Lute released the album, he had released a mini-series titled Gold Mouf Chronicles. Alexander Hall directed and edited the film series where Lute plays the titular Gold Mouf. In the first episode, he takes on a Bob Ross-like role—call him Lute Ross—complete with PBS-style educational editing. It begins out charming before turning into something a little more foul-mouthed, emphasizing the young rapper's charisma (Joe Price, 2020 on Complex News Website). Therefore, the significance behind the series could be that Lute was indirectly announcing his debut album, "Gold Mouf." Therefore it highlights the significance he wanted to share with his listeners.
Of course, the significance behind the album is mainly found in the tracklist itself. This includes:
100
GED (Getting Every Dolla)
Myself featuring DEVN
Be Okay
Eye to Eye featuring Cozz
Changes featuring BJ The Chicago Kid
Ghetto Love featuring Blakk Soul and Ari Lennox
Amen featuring Little Brother
Birdsong featuring JID and Saba
Flossin' featuring WESTSIDE BOOGIE
Life
Overnight
Crashing
I will only mention some of the tracks in the album.
100
The track starts with a deep bass guitar playing in the background. Lute starts rapping which is a bit fast-paced. The beat stays consistent with a mixture of drums and a bit of piano. There also seems to be a crowd singing in the background, female vocals. Then around the end, the beat gets lower as he raps his lyrics. A trumpet plays at the end.
From the title itself, it seems Lute is keeping everything "100" in terms of him perfecting his craft and not letting anything discourage him. This is shown in the lyrics:
[Chorus]
"Don't care about the numbers / Slept on the couch for three summers / I get in the way of myself /I gotta keep that shit humble / I gotta keep it a hundred / I gotta keep it a hundred"
"Times change, people change / You don't go through the pain for nothin' / It's yours for the takin', so don't get complacent / 'Cause you gotta show that you want it / If you get it, you got it / You flaunt like my daughter, do money phones wit' the hundred / I don't do shit for the look so "fuck you, pay me" when I'm booked / 'Cause I ain't got time to be playin'"
The first track gives what the audience should expect from the rest of the album. It has that chilled vibe, he talks about perfecting his craft and not letting anything discourage him. He doesn't care about the numbers, he is still learning as an artist. I liked this concept so I don't have any complaints.
GED (Getting Every Dolla)
Lute released the music video on 4 February 2020. In terms of the music itself, there seems to be a consistent bass background playing in the background as Lute starts rapping. The song is about Lute celebrating his success in the rap game. At the end of the music video, a trumpet plays with a flute. For more details, make sure to read my article about GED by clicking the link below:
Myself featuring DEVN
The song seems to talk about fake people who are not always as they seem. At the beginning of the music video, the music seems soothing then after some time drums play in the background as the Lute starts rapping saying:
"I'm not an introvert, I just don’t fuck with niggas / So to myself nowadays, it's really hard to read intentions / Funny how people who act distant say you actin' different / Trust me, if I don’t fuck with you, I keep it consistent, ah / Life's a challenge, so for balance had to right some wrongs"
The visuals are also on point. For instance, there is a lighted chandelier in a dark room. The beat stays consistent. Afterwards, Devn then sings with soothing vocals saying:
"Way too much goin’ on, "Do Not Disturb" on my phone / Where I lay my head doesn't feel like home / And niggas wonder why I be in my zone"
The lyrics above, clearly show it's talking about fake people. What is significant in the music video is that Lute is writing something in a notebook. It could be writing his thoughts or writing his lyrics. The music video is intriguing to watch.
Be Okay
This is one of the most significant tracks in the album because Lute talks about his anxiety. A deep bass piano seems to start playing in the background. Moreover, it seems a woman is singing with low vocals. Then the beat gets higher with a man's backing vocals. The other vocals are soothing. In the end, Lute starts singing which makes it unique and probably shows his vulnerable side.
Moreover, it is linked to one of his documentaries. Dreamville Records published a video titled "Lute Presents: Gold Mouf Chronicles 'Anxiousness'" on June 22, 2020, in which Lute discussed his anxiety. In Los Angeles, California, the interview took place. He said he couldn't write music for a month because of his nervousness. He was adamant about not hearing the word "music." His anxiety has a significant impact on how he moves. For more details, click the link below:
Life
The music video was released on 6 July 2020. The beat is upbeat with a bassline. Drums and violins play in the background as well. Lastly, in the chorus, there I hear a woman's backing vocals. The beat stays consistent. For more details, click the link below:
Overall, I loved the concept of the album. It introduced Lute as a lyrically gifted artist. The vocals, the production and a bit of Neo-Soul were perfect. My only disappointment is that on the track, Ghetto Love, I was expecting to hear Ari singing and not just her backing vocals. Nonetheless, the album is interesting. Therefore, I would rate the album around 8.5/10.
P.S I recommend you listen to the album, especially the track, "Changes"
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