Brooklyn Petting Zoo by Precious Gorgeous
Brooklyn rapper Precious Gorgeous returns with a holiday mixtape, aptly titled Brooklyn Petting Zoo. On this new tape, Precious Gorgeous (PG) opens with the iconic Shadowboxin’ beat, a nod to the RZA, who the track is named after in “Prince Rakeem.” In fact, all of the song titles are references to Brooklyn icons: “Emmanuel Lewis,” “Ali Ya!” (Aaliyah), and even “Judge Judy,” who was born in Brooklyn. This project is a complete love letter to Brooklyn, all the way down to the beats, many of which come from Brooklyn rappers such as the Notorious B.I.G., Pop Smoke and even Desiigner. PG was methodical with the Brooklyn callouts and structured this mixtape to be a perfect encapsulation of his Brooklyn experience. His creativity shines throughout, which is not a surprise, given he is also an actor and has produced and composed theatrical works. My favorite aspect of this exciting MC, however, is how every song is oozing with positive energy. The atmosphere that he creates with this energy is certainly the best part of this album. Having only been to Brooklyn twice, I still found myself imagining the concrete neighborhoods to match PG’s descriptions. The fact that he was able to transport me there is really impressive.
I enjoyed the variety on this album, as it contains a clear 90’s hip hop influence yet has been updated for modern times: “The revolution will not be televised, check the livestream.” PG is clearly multi-talented, going from spitting over drill beats to singing over soft piano, his versatility is one of his biggest strengths. Though meshing all these different sounds onto one project is admirable, I think it also detracts from the mixtape a bit. The themes are all over the place, and it is difficult for the listener to keep up when one song is about romance, the next is about police brutality, and the third is a braggadocious trap track. In future work, I will be anxious to see PG find his lane and perhaps a signature style instead of drawing from so many different influences.
I also think PG has room to improve on his lyricism. There are moments on the album where his lyricism shines, and these moments make me want more. “Emmanuel Lewis” is my favorite song on the album, and here we are presented with lush metaphors like a bird that leaves its nest too early, now scared to “dive headfirst into the wind” and “find the courage to live.” On “Omar From The Wire,” PG spits “scream into the beat like the pillow to the pain.” I find that line really powerful, and these analogies make for great storytelling. I am hopeful that PG can hone in more on these introspective themes and dive deeper with his lyricism because when he does, I think that is when he is at his best. “Raphael Hawaweeny” also contains some great storytelling about PG’s relationship with school and God, another example of a technique that I hope he employs more of in the future.
What PG wanted to accomplish on this album, he absolutely did. He crafted a fun, love letter to Brooklyn, NY and spits bars over a plethora of different beats and sounds. He immerses the listener in his life, bringing Brooklyn to the forefront. The world is his playground on this project, and I expect his future work to feel the same. I am very excited to see what PG can come up with, and he has a very high potential.
Favorite songs: Emmanuel Lewis, Gloria Carter, Rusty
Rating: 7/10
