I Am> I was
| 21 Savage
I Am> I was
I Am > I Was (stylized in lowercase; pronounced "I am greater than I was") is the second studio album by rapper 21 Savage, released on December 21, 2018. I Am > I Was features vocals by J. Cole, Childish Gambino, Schoolboy Q, Post Malone, Offset, Lil Baby, Gunna, and Travis Scott, among others. I Am > I Was is supported by the lead single, "A Lot". The album received critical acclaim and performed well commercially, debuting atop the US Billboard 200 with 131,000 album-equivalent units, of which 18,000 were pure sales. - Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
He writes with grisly clarity and humor, and his songs here are sturdy, inventive, and sticky.
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Consequence of Sound
21 Savage’s ability to express a variety of feelings allows the music to stand out at times and become more than a generic gangsta rap presentation. It’s unfortunate, then, that the record finds itself held back by unfeeling and monotonous takes on issues like gun violence. Overall, i am > i was is a mixed bag of experience that offers enough solid tracks to keep fans latched on.
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Stereogum
With i am > i was, he’s punching above his weight, releasing a pretty-good album that’s much better than it had to be. He’s shown growth, both as a rapper and a public figure.
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DJ Booth
21 is better than he’s ever been. The rapping, the flows, the features, the production, everything about this project is about showcasing artistic progress and human growth. There isn’t a single song, on first listen, that I would skip.
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Variety
Despite all the high-profile guests, it’s actually on the soulfully inventive “Ball w/o You,” “Gun Smoke” and the sensual “Out for the Night” — which all feature 21 Savage on his own — that “i am > i was” is at its best and most dynamic.
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The 405
21 Savage shows maturity whilst still bringing a level of menace, vulnerability and torment
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Hot New Hip Hop
Is unequivocally the moment we will start to view 21 Savage with a thicker lens, with respect to past misgivings, and most importantly, with a positive outlook on the bright future that lies ahead for the Slaughter Gang initiative.
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The Guardian
But the power in Savage’s music still lies in the gulf between what he is expected to feel and what he actually does: that brilliant vocal cadence suggests he is surveying the cars and girls of his new life with numbed distance, even disgust.
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High Snobiety
A Great Artistic Leap Forward.
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Crack magazine
A varied attempt at reconciling both sides of the face-tatted spitter’s vexing world.
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The Musical Hype
Following lackluster debut album Issa Album, ubiquitous rap deadpan extraordinaire 21 Savage steps up his game on his sophomore LP
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Rolling Stone
Shayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph is wealthier, funnier and more famous than he’s ever been. If he’s not one of the best lyricists in hip-hop already, with every release he’s inching closer to that reality.
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Guest List
21 develops his dreary cadence and morbid, downcast lyrics. There is aslo evolution to be found across the tape. Savage has developed a now infamous whisper rap, which apppears on this album multiple times.
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Sound Digest
The album features beats from soulful to trap. It is interesting and experimental, yet still an easy listen. While it still holds true to the sound 21 fans know and love, the album is definitely a step up from previous releases and is bound to launch 21 Savage to rap stardom.
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Thirst Key
21 has evolved far beyond his contemporaries. He’s no great scholar but he’s become far more clever lyrically, he’s discovered more flows and has even improved that monotone cadence.
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The Breeze
A dynamic album that shows 21 Savage becoming a better version of himself. It’s evident he’s worked on his craft since his last album, having an impressive year with his features and capping it off with an impressive album. It has a good balance of savagery and vulnerability that shows his versatility as an artist.
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Dead End Podcasts
21 Savage has captured the hearts of many during his rise to fame. His latest album, I Am Greater Than I Was, has been heralded by many to be his best work.
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MTV
It makes the wide-reaching album sound like an authentic evolution for 21 Savage, where he's just as concerned with his thoughts as his morose subject matter. It’s not an airtight exhibition of the rapper’s curatory abilities, but it’s not trying to be.
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The Sentry
Not only does the album speculate Savage’s growth as an artist but also treats the public to a new perspective on his work. The transition from trap to different arrangements of R&B expanded the range of creativity, using it to create a well-balanced ratio of fast and slow melodies.
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The Inquirer Philly
But it’s apparent also on harder cuts, like the formidable opener, “A Lot,” in which he mourns the loss of a younger brother and makes room for guest J. Cole, who accuses competing rappers of using bots to inflate their music streaming numbers and shouts out support for Sixers guard Markelle Fultz
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Uproxx
Shows true dedication and concision at just fifteen tracks. He knew what he was going to say before he set out to say it, providing something that feels rare in the modern age — an album that centers quality over quantity.
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Sputnik Music
It’s a slog to get through. It commits a deadly sin that rappers like 21 Savage rarely fall into, it’s milquetoast. Unremarkable. Rather than a failure of epic proportions, it’s just boring.
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Still Crew
One listen in, it’s clear to see that 21 Savage has definitely changed and become a more well rounded person.
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Amino Apps
21 Savage is trully greater than he was. But i wouldn't say he's a changed man, not completely anyways. But as an artist he has definitely evolved. It was a good album, great production, great features.
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Jack Lynch
Maybe my overall opinions on this genre of music are starting to change. I’m not sure. But I was gassed for this album, and I was left quite disappointed.
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The AU Review
Ultimately this is still a very pop-rap influenced project, but the album isn’t claiming to be anything more or different. Despite this fact, the project is the most clear aggregation of the personality of 21 Savage and paints pictures of conflict and success in such detached ways that very few other artists could achieve the same feeling on a verse, let alone across an album.
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Erie Reader
I Am > I Was is a document of growth and a project with enough sonic twists to impress even the most skeptical genre fanatics.
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Exclaim
Whether that's giving back to the community through his Leading By Example Foundation or by rapping from fearlessly from his gut, I Am vs. I Was does highlight the best version of 21 Savage — but it also develops the story of how he got there.
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Red Roll
Most well-groomed project to date. Despite critics viewing him as a one trick pony whose time in the spotlight was quickly waning, Savage has shown himself to have much more longevity and artistic merit than previously appreciated.
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The Cat's Eye
If this album had to have a rating, it would break the scale.
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The Rambler News
Starting to show some versatility as an artist, and this album is proof of that. To conclude, I really hope 21 builds off of this successful album and continues to adapt as an artist, because I genuinely think this is his best project to ever come out.
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The Fresh Committee
Savage tracks grew on me. His debut had its flaws, though I left that project with hope.
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The Capstone
This album was a huge step in the right direction for 21 Savage and shows that he has more to offer than his whisper-toned voice and hard exterior.
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Zone Coverage
This is the album that should mark his final transition into the mainstream, if the success of “Bank Account” wasn’t enough. There’s something for everyone here, even if you’re not a fan of the typical 21 Savage subject matter and rap style.
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Daily Cardinal
21 Savage comes off more impressive and wise than ever with i am > i was. Perhaps representative of his station in life, i am > i was still slips up at times, but never fails to return all the while. While a good project, I don’t think this is the best work we’re going to see from 21 Savage.
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The Bottom Line
Overall, this project showcases 21 Savage’s versatility into a more mainstream role. His collaborations with major artists extend beyond his features on others’ tracks. His newest album is a more extensive and lyrically sophisticated work.
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The Viking Press
Re-illuminate 21’s originality and show the listener why this man really is the future of rap. 21 has a story to tell the world and he will — that’s his purpose and his effort pays off as the listener can heavily relate.
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The Odyssey
This is easily 21 Savage’s strongest project and shows a lot of growth.
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Echo
A win in my book. I genuinely liked every song and didn’t have anything bad to say about any song in particular.
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Noise Comply
The rapping is significantly better than on his previous releases, and the album effectively tackles a number of different topics.
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Hip Hop DX
Deserves all the recognition for 21 Savage becoming a better version of himself, and it’s a much-needed proclamation that he’s willing to work on his craft.
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Entertainment News Boom
Despite all the high-profile guests, it’s actually on the soulfully inventive “Ball w/o You,” “Gun Smoke” and the sensual “Out for the Night” — which all feature 21 Savage on his own — that “i am > i was” is at its best and most dynamic.
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Wired Focus
Shatters the notion of 21 Savage as a specialist with a narrow purview and audience, and recasts him as a star in waiting, all without forcing him into unflattering contortions. It also cements him as a far more original stylist than other hopefuls from Atlanta
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Good Ears Only
Compiled of ten songs that showed introspection, vulnerability, growth, his lavish lifestyle, and of course personality. But most importantly, 21 Savage’s emotional intelligence was very transparent during this project.
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Rapped Out
Savage kept the sound flowing from track to track by keeping the producers limited. He didn’t sacrifice his sound by having a different producer for each song.
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Hip Hopity
His latest album, I Am Greater Than I Was, has been heralded by many to be his best work.
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Morning Dailes
It’s surprising, considering his bona fides — not to mention the A-list guests on this album — that 21 Savage is not yet a household name.
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The Sentry
Not only does the album speculate Savage’s growth as an artist but also treats the public to a new perspective on his work. The transition from trap to different arrangements of R&B expanded the range of creativity, using it to create a well-balanced ratio of fast and slow melodies.
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The Good The Weird
Savage released an album called i am > i was there are numerous collaborations provided on this album, of them is called a lot featuring J. Cole, name like Post Malone, Lil Baby, Gunna also popped out on the album’s track.
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