Evolution can come in many forms, more than just subject matter changes. But asking him to stop rapping about drugs is to fundamentally change who he is as an artist. I understand the sentiment: At some point, it might be refreshing to hear something new from Pusha T. It’s been a constant point of contention about Pusha’s music, as he’s been answering questions about growth ever since he went solo a decade ago. … Pusha fails to push himself into new territories, making the entire album feel safe, rather than an attempt at growth,” argued writer Kyle Eustice. “A disappointing conclusion considering the married father presumably has so much more hard-earned wisdom to offer his fans. Recently, Variety pondered why Pusha T wasn’t dropping gems about his actual life at 44 instead of dwelling on his past street life. But those posing the question are misunderstanding what it means to evolve and from whom evolution is expected. And at this point, it’s pretty clear Pusha T will always be rapping about drugs, prompting some to question whether the Virginia emcee will ever evolve. His latest album, It’s Almost Dry, doesn’t divert much from that overall subject matter.
Ever since Pusha T emerged on the rap scene in the early 2000s as one half of the sibling duo Clipse, he’s been known as a “coke rapper.” Almost every bar he’s spit since then has been related to the sale, consumption or spoils of drug dealing.
