The Rundown: Yo Gotti, I Am

A track-by-track review of the Tennessee rapper's latest.

Yo Gotti - I Am - Quiet as kept and well under the radar in comparison to his competition, Yo Gotti got himself an Album of the Year candidate with I Am. The project has the Memphis MC's bars up, resulting in a well-rounded body of work that deserves a listen.(Photo: Epic Records)

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The Rundown: Yo Gotti, I Am - As the latest star to hail from Memphis, Yo Gotti is proof that you don't have to be lyrical to make good songs. With A-list features from some of the best pens in the game, including T.I., J. Cole, Meek Mill, Ne-Yo and Wale, Gotti offers a balanced attack on his latest album — his first release from a deal with Epic and CMG — while still staying true to that classic Tennessee "Tear Tha Club Up" sound.(Photo: Epic Records)

"I Am" - Strings and a rock 'n' roll-style piano mixed with that signature Down South snare make a fitting intro for Tennessee's next rap star. "I could show you how to cook right, or what a millionaire look like," Yo Gotti promises. (Photo: John Ricard/Getty Images)

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"I Am" - Strings and a rock 'n' roll-style piano mixed with that signature Down South snare make a fitting intro for Tennessee's next rap star. "I could show you how to cook right, or what a millionaire look like," Yo Gotti promises. (Photo: John Ricard/Getty Images)

"Don't Come Around" featuring Kendall Morgan - Yo Gotti taps rising star Kendall Morgan on the hook. The track builds with what sounds like a slightly effected violin and, of course, rapid snare, while Kendall sings the hook. (Photo: Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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"Don't Come Around" featuring Kendall Morgan - Yo Gotti taps rising star Kendall Morgan on the hook. The track builds with what sounds like a slightly effected violin and, of course, rapid snare, while Kendall sings the hook. (Photo: Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET)

"I Know" featuring Rich Homie Quan - Fellow rookie sensation Rich Homie Quan joins Yo Gotti on this slow banger. "You ain't the n***a you say you is./ I know, I know, I know. Them streets they f*** wit me strong/ And them b*****s don't f*** just because my money long," Quan croons over an adapted version of "I Got 5 on It." (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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"I Know" featuring Rich Homie Quan - Fellow rookie sensation Rich Homie Quan joins Yo Gotti on this slow banger. "You ain't the n***a you say you is./ I know, I know, I know. Them streets they f*** wit me strong/ And them b*****s don't f*** just because my money long," Quan croons over an adapted version of "I Got 5 on It." (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET)

"Sorry" - Yo Gotti is ironically unapologetic on this cut with lines like, "I like different type of b*****s, I'm sorry/I can never be committed, and I'm sorry. How often you gon' see me? Hardly/ 'Cause I don't want a girl, I wanna party."(Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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"Sorry" - Yo Gotti is ironically unapologetic on this cut with lines like, "I like different type of b*****s, I'm sorry/I can never be committed, and I'm sorry. How often you gon' see me? Hardly/ 'Cause I don't want a girl, I wanna party."(Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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"F-U" featuring Meek Mill - The Ska-tinged repetitive chorus of "***k you" lays the foundation for Yo Gotti and Meek Mill's collective message to the haters. "F*** you and them b*****s that you came wit/ All in my section drinkin' my s***./ You ain't f****n', you ain't suckin' what you doin' h*e?/ Instagramin', takin' pictures, you don't know me though," raps Gotti, with a little more venom than usual. (Photos from left: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET, Candice Lawler/BET) 

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"F-U" featuring Meek Mill - The Ska-tinged repetitive chorus of "***k you" lays the foundation for Yo Gotti and Meek Mill's collective message to the haters. "F*** you and them b*****s that you came wit/ All in my section drinkin' my s***./ You ain't f****n', you ain't suckin' what you doin' h*e?/ Instagramin', takin' pictures, you don't know me though," raps Gotti, with a little more venom than usual. (Photos from left: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET, Candice Lawler/BET) 

"Pride to the Side" - More soulful on the production side, this song came in like a dream sequence with soulful singing, live drums and an introspective Yo Gotti reminiscing on his friend before he became strung out on drugs. "I grew up with this n***a, he was like my right hand/ We sellin' packs of cocaine, and we robbed the weed man/ We playin' peewee league football, you was the best, the chief/ He was the quarterback, running back and the wide receiver," remembered Gotti. (Photo: Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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"Pride to the Side" - More soulful on the production side, this song came in like a dream sequence with soulful singing, live drums and an introspective Yo Gotti reminiscing on his friend before he became strung out on drugs. "I grew up with this n***a, he was like my right hand/ We sellin' packs of cocaine, and we robbed the weed man/ We playin' peewee league football, you was the best, the chief/ He was the quarterback, running back and the wide receiver," remembered Gotti. (Photo: Rick Diamond/BET/Getty Images for BET)

"Cold Blood" featuring J. Cole and Canei Finch - Strings, a looped and pitched R&B sample, and a bit more subtlety to the drums gives this song a New York vibe, which is perfect since he went Northeast for J. Cole and Canei Finch. "Started from the ground, build it to the sky, now watch it fall down, how you goin' survive now?" sums up Yo Gotti's central theme to this song.(Photos from left: Maury Phillips/BET/Getty Images for BET, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, Jim Spellman/WireImage)

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"Cold Blood" featuring J. Cole and Canei Finch - Strings, a looped and pitched R&B sample, and a bit more subtlety to the drums gives this song a New York vibe, which is perfect since he went Northeast for J. Cole and Canei Finch. "Started from the ground, build it to the sky, now watch it fall down, how you goin' survive now?" sums up Yo Gotti's central theme to this song.(Photos from left: Maury Phillips/BET/Getty Images for BET, Kevin Mazur/Getty Images, Jim Spellman/WireImage)

"LeBron James" - Thundering bass is the nucleus of Yo Gotti's slow but powerful flow on this, one of his more boastful songs. "Hundred racks in my pocket I can't even walk/ 50 hittaz wit me, I set it off. Poppin' bottles, blowin' money, I'm just having fun."(Photo: Epic Records)

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"LeBron James" - Thundering bass is the nucleus of Yo Gotti's slow but powerful flow on this, one of his more boastful songs. "Hundred racks in my pocket I can't even walk/ 50 hittaz wit me, I set it off. Poppin' bottles, blowin' money, I'm just having fun."(Photo: Epic Records)

"Die a Real N***a" - Yo Gotti gets "Future-esque" — not to be confused with "futuristic" — with this auto-tuned, half-singing/half-rapping banger. "These n****s can't be trusted, b*****s ain't loyal/ Side b**** ain't gettin' s***, my main b**** spoiled./ I ain't turnin' on my n****s, we ain't fightin' over h*es/ And no b*****s in my business, I got killas on the road," spit Gotti. (Photo: Rob Kim/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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"Die a Real N***a" - Yo Gotti gets "Future-esque" — not to be confused with "futuristic" — with this auto-tuned, half-singing/half-rapping banger. "These n****s can't be trusted, b*****s ain't loyal/ Side b**** ain't gettin' s***, my main b**** spoiled./ I ain't turnin' on my n****s, we ain't fightin' over h*es/ And no b*****s in my business, I got killas on the road," spit Gotti. (Photo: Rob Kim/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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"King S**t" featuring T.I. - On this electric-guitar-infused beat, two kings from the South go back and forth on the spoils that come with the crown. "I got on two chains, but no I ain't Tity Boi/ Dream chasin', but no I ain't from Philly boy. B**** bad, and she say I can get it boy/ This a hit, and I'ma make a n***a feel it boy," boasts Gotti.(Photo: John Ricard/BET, Kris Connor/Getty Images)

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"King S**t" featuring T.I. - On this electric-guitar-infused beat, two kings from the South go back and forth on the spoils that come with the crown. "I got on two chains, but no I ain't Tity Boi/ Dream chasin', but no I ain't from Philly boy. B**** bad, and she say I can get it boy/ This a hit, and I'ma make a n***a feel it boy," boasts Gotti.(Photo: John Ricard/BET, Kris Connor/Getty Images)

"Respect That You Earn" featuring Ne-Yo and Wale - Ne-Yo helps Yo Gotti tone it down on I Am's most R&B-heavy track. Wale adds a shot of lyricism to balance out the unadulterated "ratchetness" that makes up most of the album. What comes out the speaker: A notice to women in the club, you only get what you earn.(Photos from left: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Ouzounova/Splash News)

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"Respect That You Earn" featuring Ne-Yo and Wale - Ne-Yo helps Yo Gotti tone it down on I Am's most R&B-heavy track. Wale adds a shot of lyricism to balance out the unadulterated "ratchetness" that makes up most of the album. What comes out the speaker: A notice to women in the club, you only get what you earn.(Photos from left: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images, Ouzounova/Splash News)

"ION Want It" - A machine-gun snare and a heavy thump make the repetitive chorus of "ION Want It" hit hard. The simplistic theme is spelled out clearly with lyrics like, "If the money don't come in rubber bands ION want it/ If the chopper don't come with a stand ION want it/ If the pack ain't big enough for the feds ION want it/ If the p***y don't come with the head ION want it."(Photo: Slim/BET)

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"ION Want It" - A machine-gun snare and a heavy thump make the repetitive chorus of "ION Want It" hit hard. The simplistic theme is spelled out clearly with lyrics like, "If the money don't come in rubber bands ION want it/ If the chopper don't come with a stand ION want it/ If the pack ain't big enough for the feds ION want it/ If the p***y don't come with the head ION want it."(Photo: Slim/BET)

"Act Right" featuring YG and Jeezy - "I'm going, going, back, back, to the Bay, rest in peace to Mac Dre," starts out this Jeezy and YG-assisted hit single, which is almost hard and soft at the same time, Memphis meets "Hyphy," a good balanced vibe to close out the album.(Photos from left: Chris McKay/Getty Images, Slim/BET Networks,Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI)

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"Act Right" featuring YG and Jeezy - "I'm going, going, back, back, to the Bay, rest in peace to Mac Dre," starts out this Jeezy and YG-assisted hit single, which is almost hard and soft at the same time, Memphis meets "Hyphy," a good balanced vibe to close out the album.(Photos from left: Chris McKay/Getty Images, Slim/BET Networks,Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for BMI)