Album Review: ‘My Own Lane’

For rappers looking to establish themselves within the genre, 2013 was a tough year to do so, with veteran artists such as Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Drake dominating the charts and airwaves.

Enter 2014, and enter Kid Ink. Gathering momentum from his 2012 debut indie release “Up & Away,” the tattooed Los Angeles native has set this year’s hip-hop race in motion with his sophomore LP, “My Own Lane.” The timing is perfect – “My Own Lane” is chock full of breezy, dance-worthy club anthems that ring in the new year with confidence.

From the start, Kid Ink pulls out all the stops. The opener, aptly titled “Hello World,” sparkles under a joyous piano loop and gives the listener a fresh change from typical jaded, beat-heavy rap numbers. “Hello World” does a good job of introducing Kid Ink’s remarkably smooth flow through its optimistic, welcoming lyrics: “Hello baby, guess who’s back/ It’s been a minute/ I know you miss me.”

The album contains several highlights that shine because of its numerous features. “Show Me,” the album’s Chris Brown-assisted lead single, features a slight R&B; groove that flaunts Kid Ink’s genre versatility, and “Iz U Down,” featuring Californian rapper Tyga, includes a catchy beat that works well with the overall party-anthem tone of the album. For those looking for solid, strict rap, “Murda” featuring Pusha T delivers with strong beats and head-spinning production underlying Kid Ink’s delivery.

“No Miracles” comes the closest to being an inspirational song, similar to “Hell & Back” on 2012’s “Up & Away,” and is perhaps the best song on the album. Featuring Elle Varner and MGK, “No Miracles” possesses a standard, lackluster background beat that doesn’t mesmerize.

Lyrically, however, it is a winner with surprising substance, discussing Kid Ink’s constant dreaming to improve his artistry: “I don’t never wanna wake up, turn off the lights/ Gotta let it burn, I’ve been ready to ignite/ I said nothing’s impossible.” “No Miracles” is a much-needed change from the increasingly repetitive barrage of club tracks in the album.

As the album progresses, the sequence of tracks presents a few flaws. At times, Kid Ink’s polished delivery tries too hard to place the same subject matter – women, the clubs, partying – over beats and instrumentation that change only slightly throughout the album. Little to no lyrical diversity exists, and the similarities in the album’s production can lull the listener into not paying attention over the duration of “My Own Lane.”

Nevertheless, the stellar choices of features partially make up for the uninspired lyrics. Guest artists such as King Los in “No Option” and Maejor Ali in “I Don’t Care” introduce freshness and skilled wordplay to Kid Ink’s mellow, yet somewhat uninflected voice, and spice up an otherwise monotonous album.

Finally, the album ends with “More Than a King,” a seemingly Yeezy-influenced track that attempts to shake things up with a voice-over but instead ends on an unoriginal note. The lyrics – “More than a king/ more than a king/ more like God” – could have worked if the rest of the tracks were not so lyrically bland. Nevertheless, the track ends the album on a highly optimistic, if not overused, tone and does a good job of neatly tying “My Own Lane” together.

All in all, Kid Ink has managed to put together a decent effort worthy of a new year. By the close of “My Own Lane,” Kid Ink ends up sharing his lane with the likes of Tyga and Wiz Khalifa, but all the Los Angeles rapper needs is some experience and creative license to shine.