If an artist with the talent of a superstar collaborated with a heroic underground producer the scene would have nothing short of an amazing collection of songs. Aaron x Judge: Rookie of the Year is the housing unit for these great mind swirled jams of partying.
There is no shortage of head bops throughout the thoroughly crafted nine song mixtape. Whether Lil Aaron is singing about how much cash flow he has in his pockets or it’s Judge bending an 808 as far as a DNA double helix, this project is as far forward as both artists have ever pushed themselves to be. Aaron and Judge have blatantly outdone themselves. “I told Judge play the beat and I fuck it up” is definitely a tag to be seen during summer house parties or festivals as large as EDC.
While both Aaron and Judge have respectively grind filled backgrounds, they hold little to no room for their humble beginnings throughout this project. In perhaps the best track to accompany the mixtape as a single is the song, “FUKITUP”. While it is the only track not to have a well placed feature, the song is a whirlwind away from Judges most highlighted production credits from the likes of Young Thug to Migos. With the right pair of headphones or accompanied sub bass, ears will ring in glee filled endorphins. While the anticipation to hear Aaron go off tightly builds within the listener and concise production, he overcomes a piercingly trap filled lead with tight vocal chops.
Stand out track “BILLS”, featuring Underground Underdogs favorite Lil Soda Boi, is a song dedicated to doing whatever comes to mind while still being able to pay bills in a timely fashion. The beat leaves enough room for both artists to boast about their daily lives and it ultimately coincides gracefully in tandem with perhaps the most explanatory one liner of the tape:
“I can do whatever I want and pay the bills”
A spacey synth plucked jam, “FOLLOWBACK” could be dubbed as the most entertaining lyrical tirade ever from both Aaron and Lil West. The song is about how girls are begging for the attention of Aaron and West while doing anything for a follow. Instead of entertaining the request, both romantics deliver interesting verbiage that seemingly comes off as naturally poetic, such as:
“She told me she want my kids and I made her swallow that
I told her come through the crib and I never call her back”
“HUSH” includes a feature from underground emcee Ro Ransom, and has the craziest bass line to hit hip-hop this entire year. Throughout the song, Aaron croons about how much he wants a new honey to engulf herself in the moment of their relationship together.
Lil Aaron and Judge are both two acts that embody somewhat of enigmatic personalities. Both are industry secrets hidden behind the shadows of songwriting and faceless production. However, with a project as ambitious and thoughtful as Aaron x Judge: Rookie of the Year, both Aaron and Judge are just about to explode in prime fashion. While an expected debut album for Aaron is not far away (along with three separate projects from Judge), there is sure to be more celebratory gloating from both artists in the near future.