Chris Crack’s ‘Might Delete Later’ is provocative, but not cohesive

Chris Crack

Might Delete Later

Fool’s Gold · February 12, 2021

Chris Crack’s new album, Might Delete Later, is provocative, but not cohesive. He spits expertly crafted bars, but his songs don’t always attract attention like anthems from other conscious rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Mos Def, and 2Pac. Chris Crack has been making music for over a decade, but he’s still not recognizable among big-name artists in his genre. He has a talent for satire and self-aware lyrics, but needs to work on his delivery to make his albums more cohesive.

The soundscape of the album fails to engage the listener, and a lot of the mixing makes the choruses of his songs sound like whispers rather than earworms. Some songs like “False Evidence Appearing Real,” “Raw Sex as Friends,” and “Keisha Cole Slaw” are attention-grabbing either through catchy hooks, bouncy beats, or eye-catching titles. Marvin Gaye’s song “Mandota” is sampled on “False Evidence Appearing Real,” in which Chris Crack lays down strong bars about society’s addiction to material things. His mature view of the world is clearly painted when he says “There ain’t no Santa.” He also reflects on the lack of role models in his life that instead spent all their money on “the golden bottle.” “Keisha Cole Slaw” feels like a flipped sample used by Dr. Dre in songs like “Let Me Ride” from his album Chronic. Dre’s tracks often start with sound bites from women talking about either sex or money, and Chris Crack uses a similar style on “Keisha Cole Slaw.” The track’s introductory voice is a woman talking with a lot of sass on the phone and saying that she is READY. This blunt beginning is a good precursor to the braggadocious song about getting money. This song has a good swing to it, and it feels retro in the best way. The only unfortunate stylistic choice that Chris Crack makes is adding a muted chorus that fails to grab the listener’s attention.

Another example of a song with potential that was not well-executed is “Gut Feelings Just Guardian Angels.” It lacks a good hook and does not effectively close the album. A song like “Keisha Cole Slaw” or “Raw Sex as Friends” would have provided a better ending since they both include satirical verses along with memorable song names. The lyrics of “Gut Feelings Just Guardian Angels” do not seem to relate to its title – it is mostly about a girl who acts wealthy, but in reality what she described to be a mansion was just a two-bedroom house. The song feels disconnected from the other songs on the album and lacks strong bars.

It is apparent that Chris Crack has a creative and unique perspective on music. In his own words, “You can dissect the music however you want,” much like a painting. The best part of Might Delete Later is the song titles. They make the album provocative, displaying his intentional use of satire throughout the tracks. With relentless bars and intriguing hooks in some of his songs, Chris Crack shows that he is talented and has potential to become a bigger presence on the alternative hip-hop scene. He also uses his music to deliver important messages – on “Ghetto Until Proven Fashionable,” for example, Chris Crack criticizes the appropriation of Black culture. Every song on the album has a very well-thought-out name, and they are obviously titled with the purpose of being either funny or thought-provoking. With more editing, Might Delete Later could be a great album that grabs the attention of more listeners and makes them think about the confusing world around them.