Kirko Bangz - The Progression 2: A Young Texas Playa (Warner Bros, 2012)

A week ago, I saw Joshton Peas talking about how his friend introduced him to Kirko Bangz (in a post that I can’t find because of Tumblr’s gimpy search engine/my own inadequacies). Either way, his friend described Kirko as the rapper “Drake wants to be.” Throughout Progression 2, despite borrowing instrumentals from Drake on a couple occasions, Kirko definitely feels like the embodiment of the persona Drake’s created since So Far Gone. That smooth H-Town player - not nearly as vulgar as Pimp C, and far more empathetic of the ladies. Kirko never reaches Drake’s simp levels by any means - Kirko’s anything but that.

Kirko owes his style far more to being raised in Houston than anything though. The essence of that city is far more organic, and that’s not just because Paul Wall pops his Slim Fast head up on the chopped and screwed “Knowmtalmbout”. With a debut album sure to be put into motion sometime this year off the success of Drank In My Cup, Kirko should be able to make a name for himself in 2012.