As Metro Boomin became trap’s workhorse, Mike WiLL Made-It, so named by Gucci Mane in the thick of his prolific mixtape run, has expanded his repertoire with radical pivots—zany psychedelic trips and chic pop promenades. Since announcing himself on Meek Mill’s chest-beating fame-measurer “Tupac Back,” he has produced everything from spacey trap ballads (Future’s “Turn On the Lights”), to strip club anthems (“Bandz a Make Her Dance”), sensual R&B massagers (Ciara’s “Body Party”), pop bangers (Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”), diva tributes (Beyoncé’s “Formation”), and even ad fodder, on his way to becoming one of rap’s most versatile soundmen. When WiLL shared instrumentals from his 2016 discography, it was a dizzying flex, a colorful mosaic of pop-trap stems that omitted key moments by mistake. There are so many jams he forgets some. In the middle, he scored his first-ever Hot 100 chart-topper by producing the viral sensation “Black Beatles” for Rae Sremmurd, the flagship act of his EarDrummers imprint. The victory seemed to affirm his vision: not only had thinking outside the rap box paid big dividends, it’d done so for artists he’d nurtured, who’d been all but denounced by old-fangled rap gatekeepers. The next logical step is a compilation projecting these accumulated successes. Ransom 2, WiLL’s debut album and sequel to a 2014 mixtape, is equal parts cash grab, roster exhibition, and résumé bulletin. But because it’s a Mike WiLL creation, it can’t help but thrill.
Ransom 2 isn’t remarkably different than its predecessor; in fact, 13 guests return from the first outing. The bigger names showcase a quick flip through Mike WiLL’s contact list: Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Migos, YG, and more. The other faces are part of an EarDrummers promotion: Rae Sremmurd, Eearz, Andrea, Fortune and producers Pluss, Resource, and Marz. Though many are repeat visitors, the album narrowly dodges feeling like a remake and there aren’t any obvious fluctuations in quality. It’s marked by plenty of Mike WiLL’s signature boggy drums, which hit with a slosh as opposed to a thud. Atop a choice range of his finest productions, the hitmakers of today and tomorrow collide.
Over time, producers as accomplished as Mike WiLL acquire enough clout to cash-in the favors necessary to collect the one-offs and session extras that make up albums like these. They feel like rejects saved from the discard piles of more prominent releases. But many of the performances on Ransom 2 are so dynamic that songs don’t even feel like blips in the massive catalogs of constantly-active MCs like Future, Gucci Mane, and Young Thug. On “Perfect Pint,” the SremmLife duo trade raps with unlikely bunkmates Gucci and Kendrick Lamar, and the chemistry is a pleasant surprise. Future continues his recent form on the boomer “Razzle Dazzle.” Every good new Wayne verse feels like an affront to Birdman and “Faith” is no different, especially considering Young Money signee HoodyBaby tags along. With “W Y O (What You On),” Young Thug continues his trial runs with new flows, chattering through the first verse before ripping through the second in bursts. If anything, these tracks just feel like recaps for recent breakouts.
As artists at the peak of their powers show glimpses of what makes them special, the crop of MCs hand selected by Mike WiLL for his crew earn their signings. Sremmurd’s Swae Lee, clearly the greatest asset on Mike WiLL’s team, gives a taste of the solo album he’s been teasing on “Bars of Soap,” a punchy departure from his usual animated fare. Andrea follows suit on “Burnin” with more bruising bars and a slashing flow. As a team, Lee and Slim Jxmmi make the most of a reunion with Chief Keef, each a unique but complementary variant of rap’s Auto-Tune wave. But it’s Eearz who makes the greatest impression with “Emotions Unlocked,” cutting through waves of distorted bass by pairing a sonorous delivery with nonstop pacing.
Despite a slew of standouts, Ransom 2 doesn’t always get the most out of its guests. Lil Yachty’s ode to a Baywatcher, “Hasselhoff,” strays from the confectionary delights that made him so popular (and play to his strengths), opting instead for a straight-faced bar fest. Trouble and Problem’s tag-team effort, “Big God,” gets lost in the shuffle—neither big nor godly. And Fortune doesn’t show the same promise as his other EarDrummer colleagues on “Oh Hi Hater (Hiatus).” His mushy cadences get swallowed up by WiLL’s slimy synth gelatin. These minor misfires and a few forgettable verses aside, Mike WiLL Made-It’s Ransom 2 is an anthology that does exactly what it set out to do: fill his mantle with the shiny trophies of recent wins while making space for new ones.
