MUSIC

“JACKBOYS” Is Cool, but Sheck Wes Is Not

The compilation album is actually awesome, but Sheck Wes is more trouble than he’s worth

Photo by: Lee Campbell / Unsplash

Compilation albums are a tricky feat to master.

Every label has their weakest link, an artist whose potential seemingly fizzled out shortly after signing. Despite a compelling New York Times expose, Valee has yet to reach the standards set up for him after joining G.O.O.D Music. Meanwhile, Jay Electronica signed to Roc Nation in 2010, but his debut album remains elusive a decade later. For Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang, the title of weakest link has continuously seemed to go to the Chevy Woods, who despite a multitude of releases has yet to truly achieve lift off.

That's not to say that the aforementioned artists don't have stable careers. There are a plethora of musicians that don't achieve the stardom of their heavy-hitting counterparts and still go on to curate perfectly fine music and lead perfectly fine lives. But their disparities are exasperated when they're put into a room with some of their label's top-tier talent. JACKBOYS is a perfectly fine compilation album, and it effectively balances a handful of Cactus Jack's unique budding talents, but the problematic Sheck Wes is not one of them.

JACKBOYS, Sheck Wes - GANG GANG (Audio)

"Flamin' Harlem with the goons, we was wildin skipping school / Now we go make the (Ching Ching)" are a few of the lackluster bars Wes offers on JACKBOYS. Aside from making one of the most obnoxious frat-anthems of 2018, Sheck Wes faced serious stalking and abuse allegations later that year from R&B starlet Justine Skye. No criminal charges ensued, but text messages and adisturbing video of Wes breaking into Skye's residence all but proves the rapper's issues with boundaries. Wes also recently starred as Nebuchadnezzar in Kanye West's insanely problematic opera.

Personal turmoil aside, the dude is just not a good rapper. His latest single, "YKTS," sounds like a drunken freestyle, with Wes offering some insanely clunky bars: "I bring home the bacon, young Sheck Wes, I do not do haram, uh, I eat the halal, uh, pork, I ain't never taste it." He is not a talent worth fostering, and Cactus Jack would be better off without him. Instead, let's all pay attention to Don Toliver, who undoubtedly is Travis Scott's successor.