Stop the presses. 

 

There’s been a disturbance in the force. A shift in power.

 

A proponent of the auditory mean mug, KB Devaughn has somehow created the hardest West Coast debut we’ve heard since YG’s My Krazy Life, while simultaneously gifting us with a relatable love story for the ages. So, don’t worry California, that’s not an earthquake shaking your houses and melting your hearts, it’s just Devaughn’s For Me, Not U. 

 

The album feels as though it runs two simultaneous storylines. One, a non-verbal, strictly vibe-influenced expression of summery West Coast production that bleeds of heavy bass and high-energy. And two, a lyrically strong and emotionally-reaching recount of love and loss through the lens of an Inglewood rapper.

 

Honestly, it’s a wide-ranging and nearly impossible-to-achieve masterpiece of balance the likes of which we have only received in the past from artists as bold and innovative as Boogie and Buddy – who, by the way, both feature in the For Me, Not U.

 

Any fan of the West Coast vibe is sure to feel at home amidst the auditory aesthetic driven by Devaughn. But it goes much further than that. Any fan of hip-hop in general or simply a fan of the off-center love story – music’s age-old bread and butter – should likewise give it a listen. Because in due time, KB Devaughn is headed to the top.