K. Michelle Stakes Her Claim In "KIMBERLY: The People I Used To Know"

In hip-hop and R&B, if you don't have a presence, you risk not having your place in the genre. K. Michelle stakes her claim in KIMBERLY: The People I Used To Know, her new record with a lot of swagger.

The record kicks off with a poetic introduction with 'Welcome to the people that I used to know,' kicking things off untraditionally with a very confident and upfront start. 'Alert' immediately follows with a very aggressive and self-righteous attitude. It's actually a very badass song, the drive of the beat carrying the track forward as K. Michelle delivers savage bars, such as "Be humble or be humbled / Your man's a scrub, he fumble / Fuck them rappers who mumble / I make them rap-thinkin' bitches tumble! / I am K-Dot, last name not Lamar." She continues her savage remarks on society in 'Kim K,' slamming pop culture, and the grit of 'Crazy Like You' also adds to the rugged texture of the record. 

Much of KIMBERLY is quite introspective, however. After the initial tirade, the record mellows out and becomes pretty heartfelt. 'Run Don't Walk' is a tragic song, K. Michelle pleading our above the dark soundscape, feeling lost. 'Giving Up On Love' is similarly broken, the cinematic presence and great melodies offering up a sweet sound. There are several questionable tracks on KIMBERLY, though; 'Fuck Your Man (Interlude)' feels like a bit too much, and 'God, Love, Sex, and Drugs' feels just a bit too satirical. You can't blame her for bringing out the memes in 'Rounds,' though.

K. Michelle stakes her claim in KIMBERLY: The People I Used To Know, making a confident and powerful stand on her position in hip-hop and love. It's as tragic as it is badass, K. Michelle showing off both her aggressive nature and her more intimate side. A record with multiple dimensions helps any artist show their ability, and K. Michelle proves hers here.

Favorite Tracks: Alert, Giving Up On Love

Least Favorite Track: Fuck Your Man, No Not You

Rating: 70 / 100

Stream or buy KIMBERLY: The People I Used To Know on Apple Music: