Caskey, ‘The Transient Classics’ – Mixtape Review

There's no doubt that Orlando rapper Caskey used his latest mixtape, 'The Transient Classics,' to document a very specific time in his life -- being signed to YMCMB.

Featuring artists like Machine Gun Kelly, Trae Tha Truth and Kyle DenMean, and mostly produced by fellow Floridians the Avengerz, 'The Transient Classics' also displays Caskey's unique combination of sharp wordplay, lurid street tales and social commentary.

On songs like 'Condolences,' he easily proves he's capable of sketching detailed verses with a little bit of wit and intelligence. On 'Weak Stomach,' featuring a strong verse from MGK, Caskey shows that he's willing to let fans peek into his personal life and see his imperfections.

"My vice has always been to mimic my father and his decisions / But driving like him always brought me those same collisions," he articulates. Caskey's father passing away when he was 16 years old is a reoccurring premise throughout the tape, and at age 21, he's still dealing with the loss.

But 'The Transient Classics' isn't just about life's hardships because Caskey spits about guns, organized religion, sexuality and everything in between. And somehow he seems to pull it all off.

But what keeps the project from receiving more praise is some of its production, as the Avengerz use similar sounds for each song. If a better mixture of musical landscapes were created it would give Caskey's rhymes even more appeal.

On many of the tracks, the production matches the quality of rhymes and provides the right colors for the song's subject matter. Like 'Guns' for example, where the Avengerz paint a ridiculously dark track to go along with Caskey's take on Florida's gun murders.

But on other songs like 'Contact,' the beat lacks excitement, and sonically, it doesn't have the needed fullness to grab your attention. Overall, it possesses a paper-thin quality, which does the track a huge disservice. Luckily for Caskey, his production team gave him more hits than misses, but it's unfortunate that a wider array of sounds weren't used for each cut.

However, what 'The Transient Classics' lacks in a variety of sound it makes up for by having strong rhymes. And again, Caskey does a fine job of expressing just how it is to move from underground rapper to teaming with arguably the biggest and most mainstream rap collective there is today.

If he can remain true to himself artistically, by staying lyrically inventive -- as he did on this mixtape -- he could make a decent splash in the rap game. It'll also be interesting to hear what he sounds like over other production besides the Avengerz. But overall, 'The Transient Classics' is a solid effort by a pretty solid MC.

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Listen to Caskey's 'The Transient Classics' Mixtape