Stay Dangerous
by YG
  • Record Label: Def Jam
  • Release Date: Aug 3, 2018
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Aug 7, 2018
    83
    YG’s objectives across Stay Dangerous are more narrow and (for him) natural. Reuniting with long-time producer DJ Mustard for around half the album, YG is largely content to low-ride in his lane, swaggering across Bloods-allegiant bangers (electrifying “Suu Whoop”) and incisive tell-alls from the hood (“Too Brazy” “Deeper Than Rap”).
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Aug 3, 2018
    80
    [DJ Mustard and YG] still sound great together in cuts like “Too Brazy” and “Slay,” with YG flexing his SoCal drawl over DJ Mustard’s crisp yet bouncy grooves; the music feels urgent but somehow unhurried, as though YG is sure the beat won’t go anywhere without him. The presence of his old friend brings out YG’s sly charm too.
  3. The New York Times
    Aug 3, 2018
    80
    It revels in lushness, owning its smooth funk legacy and extending it to the present day.
  5. Consequence
    Aug 9, 2018
    75
    Though it doesn’t quite reach the heights of his first two, his new album, Stay Dangerous, is another solid project from one of the best on the West Coast.
  6. The A.V. Club
    Aug 3, 2018
    75
    It pretty much all works, in the way that all of YG’s music works, anchored by superlative taste and a flow as versatile and reliable as T.I. in his prime.
  7. Spin
    Aug 6, 2018
    70
    The tropes in YG’s songs are West Coast traditional (women, realness, threats, repeat) but there’s a combination of veteran savvy and lane mastering that refreshes the more expected moments.
  8. Rolling Stone
    Aug 6, 2018
    70
    Mustard’s beats here don’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but they serve as hydraulics to YG’s low-riding delivery; on “Too Cocky,” the producer’s minimalist West Coast bounce pairs perfectly with YG’s unexpected and inspired Right Said Fred interpolation.
  9. The 405
    Aug 7, 2018
    65
    He doesn’t need to hop on the emo rap bandwagon and a more stoic presence is always welcome, but this feels like the first YG album that’s coasting on reputation rather than inspiration.
  10. Pitchfork
    Aug 6, 2018
    65
    For YG, an artist we’ve come to expect the unexpected from, someone currently standing at a career-defining intersection, Stay Dangerous is an exercise in predictability.
  11. HipHopDX
    Aug 7, 2018
    64
    Stay Dangerous could have benefitted greatly with more personal touches as opposed to the conventional gangsterisms that bulk up the album.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 56
  3. Negative: 11 out of 56
  1. thedaywalker
    Aug 12, 2018
    2
    From production to rhymes, this has to be one of the most generic albums i have ever heard. Lack of ambition, lazy writing and repetitiveFrom production to rhymes, this has to be one of the most generic albums i have ever heard. Lack of ambition, lazy writing and repetitive flows make this album, the worst album i've heard this year. Offering us nothing when it comes to beat selection, and a staggering amount of lackluster rhymes, providing fans with no amount of depth whatsoever, I believe YG can't really get much worst… Full Review »
  2. spenceryang8
    Mar 30, 2019
    5
    YG tries to 'Stay Dangerous' by going the generic trap route.

    FAV TRACKS: BOMPTOWN FINEST, DEEPER THAN RAP, 666, **** MONEY FAME LEAST    YG tries to 'Stay Dangerous' by going the generic trap route.

    FAV TRACKS: BOMPTOWN FINEST, DEEPER THAN RAP, 666, **** MONEY FAME

    LEAST FAV TRACK: CANT GET IN KANADA    … Full Review »
  3. JulioxD
    Aug 31, 2018
    10
    YG has an excellent album in both rhythms and lyrics, this album is better than Travis Scott.
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