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Maxo 187

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Maxo 187
Mixtape by
ReleasedMarch 5, 2015 (2015-03-05)
Recorded2014–2015
StudioiMix Recording Studios
GenreTrap
Length52:25
LabelTSO Music Group / Kream Clicc
Producer
Maxo Kream chronology
Quicc Strikes
(2013)
Maxo 187
(2015)
The Persona Tape
(2016)
Singles from Maxo 187
  1. "Cell Boomin"
    Released: February 27, 2015

Maxo 187 (stylized as #Maxo187) is the third mixtape by the American rapper Maxo Kream. It was released on March 5, 2015,[1] by TSO Records. The album's release was supported by the release of the single "Cell Boomin" featuring Father. The mixtape has guest appearances by Fredo Santana, Joey Bada$$ and others.

Production was led by Wolfe De Mçhls (also known as WXLF GXD) who produced six tracks, including album opener "Thirteen". A number of up-and-coming trap producers assisted him, including A$AP Mob member A$AP P on the boards, Ryan ESL and Christian Lou. The production was acclaimed for its cohesiveness and ability to complement Kream's versatile flow.[citation needed]

Noted by critics for its macabre themes and violent lyrics, #Maxo187 details Kream's teenage experiences in the drug-infested and crime-ridden streets of southwest Houston, told through accounts of home invasions, robberies and life as a 52 Hoover Gangster Crip. #Maxo187 received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Kream's rapping and storytelling.[citation needed]

Music and lyrics

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#Maxo187 uses atmospheric beats with rattling hi hats and booming bass, reminiscent of older Houstonian styles while still incorporating new styles of trap music, similar to Travis Scott's Days Before Rodeo and A$AP Rocky's LIVE.LOVE.A$AP. "Cell Boomin", the mixtape's lead single, is built around a simple sample of a phone ringing. The ringing tone's omnipresence seems haunting at times while Kream raps about shifty phone calls with dealers and his never-ending crusade in the drug trade. Album opener "Thirteen" begins with a sweeping synth build and a harrowing backing vocal which sounds as if the speaker is attempting to break through the mold of the volatile synthesizers. Later, a screaming synthline scatters freely across the track.

Singles

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On February 27, 2015, Kream released the mixtape's lead single, "Cell Boomin". Later, the single appeared on Frank Ocean's curated playlist on Spotify, Blonded. In the Pitchfork Media review of the mixtape, the track was described as a "drug peddler anthem with [a] bouncing flow that explore[s] static thump[s] and a syrupy codeine haze."[2]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork Media6.6/10[3]

#Maxo187 was met with generally positive reviews from critics and rave reviews from listeners. The mixtape holds a 91% user rating on HotNewHipHop. Patrick Montes of Hypebeast Limited said the mixtape "might be his most fully-formed and developed project yet. From the bombastic, trap-on-steroids production of the intro track to the psychedelic graveyard music of “KKK” and the slow-churned, moody turn-up of "Astrodome," Maxo juxtaposes his ruthless cutthroat-raps with a variety of well-produced, quality beats on Maxo 187."[4] Pitchfork Media called the record a "sinister and visceral portrait of Houston street life...Maxo 187 doesn't portray cripping as an escape from the hood but a liberation from ordinary life."[5]

Track listing

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No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Thirteen"WXLF GXD3:27
2."Paranoia"A$AP P on the Boards4:15
3."Clientele" (featuring Lamb$ and Ski Mask Malley)WXLF GXD4:04
4."1998 Interlude" 0:27
5."1998" (featuring Joey Bada$$)Ryan ESL3:44
6."Astrodome" (featuring The Sauce Twinz)WXLF GXD3:56
7."Trap Mami / Flippin"WXLF GXD4:12
8."Sold Out" (featuring Lil Family)Ryan ESL4:00
9."FTL Interlude" 0:45
10."Murder"WXLF GXD4:40
11."KKK"A$AP P on the Boards3:39
12."Cell Boomin" (featuring Father)WXLF GXD3:48
13."Endzone" (featuring Le$)Christian Lou3:12
14."Trigga Maxo"
  • Christian Lou
  • Rayayy
2:17
15."Issues" (featuring Fredo Santana)Peso Piddy5:01
Total length:52:25

References

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  1. ^ "Stream Maxo Kream's "#Maxo187" Mixtape". Complex. March 5, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
    - Caldwell, Brandon (March 10, 2015). "Maxo Kream Ups the Ante of Houston Street Rap". Houston Press. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  2. ^ Sheldon Pearce, "Maxo Kream: Maxo 187 Album Review", Pitchfork Media, March 19, 2015
  3. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (March 19, 2015). "Maxo Kream: Maxo 187 Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  4. ^ Montes, Patrick (March 5, 2015). "Maxo Kream's 'Maxo 187' Features Joey Bada$$, Father, Fredo Santana & More". Hypebeast Limited. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (March 19, 2015). "Maxo Kream: Maxo 187 Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 16, 2018.