Full Speed [UK Edition]

A club-worthy artist who's not entirely crass, rapper Kid Ink loves hooks and slick beats above all else, and yet he's always entertaining, sometimes surprisingly nimble with his lyrics, and often comes up with wonderfully odd touches that are inspired by the left field. That latter bit is reflected in the DJ Dahi-produced "Faster," a grinding, post-Yeezus number squeezed through a compressing filter so that it comes out sounding like precog rap-rock. The medium warm "Every City We Go" is risky enough to recast the traptastic Migos as Drake-like dreamers, but "Blunted" is a bigger misstep from the pop side as it borrows some from Migos, and some from Lil B, while forgetting all that makes the Kid unique. Still, with worthy singles "Body Language," "Hotel," and "Be Real" added to the mix, there's much more fire than fodder here, enough to satisfy returning fans along with party people of all flavors. ~ David Jeffries