There was a time when posse cuts were all the rage in hip-hop— the likes of N.W.A., Outkast, Wu-Tang Clan and more are groups who’ve left their unmistakable fingerprints all over the genre’s legacy— but lately it seems like that time is no more. In the age of solo superstars, Denzel Curry is a name that only grows increasingly inescapable over time, as the man’s studio output continues to swell in quality with each subsequent release. After 2024’s ‘KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH’ saw the rapper paying homage to the grimy beats and arrogant bars that inspired him, Curry is back to do much the same as part of new supergroup The Scythe: their debut album, ‘Strictly 4 The Scythe,’ is far less entertaining than the names associated with it might imply.

As far as Curry’s catalogue is concerned, this new outing has far more in common with the likes of 2020’s ‘UNLOCKED’ or 2019’s ‘ZUU’ than it does with the conscious rap of 2022’s ‘Melt My Eyez See Your Future.’ ‘Strictly 4 The Scythe’ wraps itself in branding so dark and confrontational as to become downright amusing, in much the same way that Skeletor is not a particularly threatening villain— right from the gang vocals that kick off the group’s self-titled track, you can tell that all five members of The Scythe are having a lot of fun here. The song is shrouded in rumbling 808s and futuristic trap elements, and it’s a collection of sounds that works to underscore some standout verses from TiaCorine and A$AP Ferg. Sure, the track is hardly elaborate in its presentation or impressive in terms of its themes, but that was clearly never its aim: ‘Strictly 4 The Scythe’ wants only to be stylish and immediately enjoyable.

I hope you liked ‘THE SCYTHE,’ because the group themselves certainly did— so much so, in fact, that Curry and company made the same song thrice more! The entire first half of this project is devoted to that grimy trap sound, and it’s a style they outright refuse to develop or iterate on across these four songs. Lead single ‘LIT EFFECT’ is clearly begging to be mistaken for final boss music, but its by-the-numbers BKTHERULA hook and dismally unmemorable LAZER DIM 700 feature really aren’t doing it any favours: the task of saving the track ultimately falls to Denzel Curry, who’s impressive wordplay and confident flows do just about do the trick. Try, though, and distinguish the cut from the following ‘PHONY’ and ‘MUTT THAT BIH,’ and you’ll begin to question whether this project is going anywhere at all. The carefree mentions of wealth, status and ability that The Scythe love throwing out fit the record’s aesthetic, sure, but the group do need to actually back them up with some real effort at some point. In these moments, it sounds like they’re coasting, hands off the wheel.

“Never was worried 'bout bills when they bill a check

Patriot, making this paper, then saving it 'til it's looking like it's pages or something”

The remainder of ‘Strictly 4 The Scythe’ goes in a wildly different direction, betraying just how one-note the track list had been up to that point: even if the switch-up comes a little too far into the project, it’s refreshing to finally see some variety. ‘HOOPTY’ is a high-energy club track that pushes TiaCorine to match the intensity of its crackling hi-hats and endless vocal samples. If any member of The Scythe (other than Denzel Curry) makes the project their own, it’s absolutely her: the verses she provides, such as on ‘TAN,’ are frequently the high points of those tracks. Even still, ‘Strictly 4 The Scythe’ hardly takes some miraculous upswing towards its conclusion, but merely works to disguise its own inconsistency. The 2000s dance vibes on ‘YOU AINT GOTTA LIE’ really do nothing for the record but further confuse its image, and much the same could be said for the shimmering aesthetic on ‘TAN.’ As for ‘UP,’ the song’s reverb-heavy production and laidback verses make it more of an epilogue than a true album closer: for a record as lacking in meaningful content as this, it’s a disappointing conclusion.

It’s ironic that, in attempting to uplift his contemporaries via this collaborative piece, Denzel Curry has only proven why he is the biggest name of the lot: the rapper already pulled off this concept on ‘KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH,’ and that record was far more entertaining than this one. The Scythe are a group with potential, but their debut record is worth less than the sum of its parts— a chronic lack of ambition and focus leaves ‘Strictly 4 The Scythe’ feeling rather inessential. Here’s hoping that Curry and company can raise the bar moving forward: this project doesn’t quite make the cut.