The Lonzo Ball album review you didn’t know you needed

Born 2 Ball ain’t half bad

A few months ago I tweeted this about Lonzo Ball.

I was kidding y’all. However, at the same time, Lonzo Ball wasn’t completely trash on the mic on his first, and when you remember that he’s a ballplayer trying to rap, that’s fine.

A few NBA players have tried their skills on the mic, from “Boom Bap” Shaq to Kobe, to Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond and Iman Shumpert.

Lonzo’s debut project “Born 2 Ball” is here and if y’all thought I wasn’t going to review it, then y’all really don’t know me at all, do you?

Let’s get into this.

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Actually, can we discuss how fire the project title is?

Born 2 Ball = Born into the Ball family

Born 2 Ball = Born to play basketball

Born 2 Ball = Lonzo’s jersey is no. 2

THERE’S LEVELS TO THIS AND THE ALBUM AIN’T EVEN START YET. Let me calm down.

Track 1: Grind Mode (Featuring DC The Don)

Beat: It sounds like they went to YouTube and typed in “Migos TYPE BEAT” but it’s still

Favorite line: “Diamonds too bright / Lookin’ like Sunny Delight”

This track is important because it sets the tone for what kind of Big Baller Bars we’re going to hear. The beat drop just lets you know that you’re about to be in for some Big Baller Bangers. Say what you want about Zo’s lyrics, but he can flow and lets the beat do the heavy lifting. Which is cool to me because I’m not trying to decode lyrics while I’m bumping in the whip.

The feature, DC the DON, is just as good as Lonzo is and coasts on the beat. He definitely steals this song from Zo, but Zo’s good effort and fire hook balances that out.

Track 2: Get Off

Beat: YOU HEAR THAT PIANO THO?!

Favorite line: “Straight crack, I spit that, but nah homie, I ain’t talking drugs I ain’t on the corner, I ain’t selling rock, I ain’t selling rock banging with the thugs I be on the court, yeah I push the rock Cause balling, balling, balling what I love.”

The Lakers may have traded Jordan Clarkson but not before he gave us this hilarious cameo.

I miss them together already.

Track 3: ZO2

Beat: Bangs in the whip, what more can you ask for?

Favorite line: And I dropped out of school ‘cause I’m smarter than student Only one year I was done with the Bruins Slavin’ for free, I was offered to move it Millions of dollars, I took it, I’m human.

I already talked about this track for what it’s worth. It’s fine.

Track 4: Puttin in Work

Beat: THE PIANO BACK AND THAT BASS.

Favorite line: Everybody want the fame / They don’t wanna put in work / Everybody want a name / They don’t wanna put in work.

This is the first time we hear Kenneth Paige on the album and he makes a strong entrance with his flow. It’s hard to tell him and DC the Don apart at first, not going to lie. DC the Don intro’d his verse with some melodic bars that made him sound like Trippie Redd for a little bit and then came back down and spit some decent bars. This song would have been just fine if Lonzo didn’t add an extra verse, but that’s just me not liking super long songs sometimes. This is the longest song on the album coming at just under 4 minutes. The third verse doesn’t add to the song or take away from it. It’s just there.

Track 5: Better

Beat: This sounds ... different from the other ones. That’s a good thing.

Favorite line: She like Louis V / and I rock double G’s / I only run on E if it’s after L-O-V

This flow sounds a little bit smoother than the other songs on the project and it matches with the beat. The thing about all these tracks is that Lonzo has a good voice for rapping but sometimes it seems like he’s not as hype as the beat. It’s not a bad thing necessarily because the beats are still fire.

We might need a LaMelo feature on the next album. Just have him do ad-libs and this album becomes 30x better.

Track 6: LAML feat (Kenneth Paige)

Beat: Wavy

Favorite line: Man Nike couldn’t pay us , Man they really try to play us , New crib hella spacious , Inside elevators.

This track doesn’t do that much for me, to be honest. Besides that shot at Nike, nothing else stands out to me in this song. I’m sorry.

Track 7: Super Saiyan

Beat: Cool

Favorite line: “No we don’t pop Mollies, stay away from those Xans”

I just feel like Zo’s weakness is his mellow energy. The thing is that you can say this about an artist like NAV, but at least for the most part NAV’s beats match his energy. Sometimes Zo’s energy doesn’t match the beat and it’s noticeable. For some of these beats, I can imagine Waka Flocka yelling and going HAM.

I like Lil Uzi’s Super Saiyan better.

Track 8: Bring it Home

Beat: I like the sample

Favorite line: Where the love, where the trust, fresh out yelling bust, dropped out too corrupt and these books taking funs. How I’m supposed to have fun? With no money for the month.

Lonzo Ball’s best lines on this project are when he addressed playing at UCLA and how the NCAA is an evil empire.

Track 9: Money Talks

Beat: Not a banger, but the beat suits him better in my opinion.

Favorite line: Cooked it at the house we started selling to the clients now. We throw it on the side and let the people talk about it yeah yeah.

This beat isn’t as attention-grabbing as most of the other ones on the project. To me, it just seems like Zo is very comfortable with these kinds of beats. I was dabbing with my headphones on.

I think this might be the best song on the project, and if it’s not, it’s damn sure up there.

Track 10: Check

Beat: Sounds like a leftover from Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho

Favorite line: Momma you kept me in class, now I’m getting to the paper.

I’m glad Lonzo gave us a break from doing the hook on this one. I don’t want to hear Lonzo trying to sing fam.

Compared to some of the other tracks, this one is run of the mill.

Maybe the number of songs on the album is starting to wear me down. It’s hard to tell.

Track 11: Day 1s

Beat: YUH!

Favorite line: “Hello Kitty I’m the coolest cat, But it’s never chilly where I’m coolin’ at”

(Plays song, Hook starts)

I got my day 1’s in this thang / Pops kept them in they lane (STAY IN YO LANE)

I see “Stay In Yo Lane” didn’t stay 2017.

Track 12: Living Lavish feat Kenneth Paige

Beat: A pretty smooth ride. It sounds like this beat was created on a private jet.

Favorite line: Started from the bottom only going up. Started with a bike but now I push a truck.

This song is just 2:35 of Lonzo reminding me how broke I am. Damn bruh. I don’t know about the life of a Baller. TEACH ME YOUR WAYS LONZO

Kenneth Paige on the hook sounds like an imitation Tory Lanez. Kenneth Paige has sounded like five different people on this project. It’s up to you how you feel about it. For me, the lack of many different people featuring on this project makes me more lenient to it. It’s clear that they’re just having fun on the tracks so it’s not that deep to me.

Track 13: Freestyle (feat Kenneth Paige)

Beat: ZO2’s hit the sif

Favorite line: ZO2 hit the site, man they cost a G. ZO2 hit the site boy, ain’t nothin’ free

DAMN I’m broke.

Track 14: Gotta get it

Beat: This makes me want to ghostride the whip

Favorite line: Heated while I’m scorching, running game and passing torches. Dropping all my courses got me focused, money what’s important.

Zo snapped on this, I don’t care about your opinion. Man’s snapped.

Track 15: What is you Doin’

Beat: It’s aight.

Favorite line: Hop in the Benz and you hop in the Chevy

This song shouldn’t be 3 minutes. Sometimes Lonzo overstays his welcome on a beat when there are no other features on the song. This is one of those times.

Track 16: BBB

Beat: Minimalistic and chill

Favorite line: Learn about business from running the business Always on go, it’s good for my fitness Tracing my steps, being smart with my pivots The sky is the ceiling, I’m pushing my limits

I know this is supposed to be a Big Baller Brand album, but when it’s 16th in a 17 song album it just sounds like filler at this point. This song should have been higher on the tracklist in my opinion.

Track 17: LaVar

Beat: Why am I crying right now

Favorite line: Tryna follow suit, that don’t turn you to a man bro / My brother sixteen in a Lambo / The other one shootin’ but ain’t trappin’ out the bando / He ain’t sell no white, pushin’ magic like Orlando.

You thought there wouldn’t be a snippet of LaVar saying some shit on the project? C’mon son.

This might be the realest shit Lonzo’s written yet and it’s one of the best songs on the album. The beat also fits well with his energy level, which is few and far between on this project.

Conclusion:

This ain’t bad for a first full project. I think this will be Zo’s version of Lillard's ‘The Letter O’. Lillard’s first project was solid, but he improved on his weaknesses and really blessed us with ‘CONFIRMED.`

This project wasn’t about lyricism and that’s more than okay. This was a decent first project with banger beats and good vibes. The lyrics that stuck with me the most on this project are when Lonzo talked about his family and life experiences. All the other lyrics take a backseat in comparison.

Lonzo’s first project ain’t terrible, and I’m looking forward to how he improves and what he does for the second project.

Score:

BBB/10