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Rating: 8/10

Tyga’s Careless World: Rise Of The Last King is an album that displays the YMCMB rapper’s versatility throughout all 21 tracks. Tyga’s ability to take a more serious approach lyrically on tracks like “Love Game” and “Black Crowns” helps balance an album that includes strip club anthems such as “Rack City” and “Faded”. The album also benefits from fine production contributed by Pharrell, Jess Jackson, David D.A. Doman, and Boi-1da among others, along with features from J. Cole, Big Sean, Nas, and labelmate Lil’ Wayne.

The opening track, “Careless World” introduces the album’s theme with Tyga saying, “I realized I needed to rise and become king of my own destiny.” The beat’s pace switches up halfway through, giving Tyga the opportunity to demonstrate his versatility. He raps on growing up in rough conditions that motivated him to achieve success, “Take a look around, there’s needles on the ground.”

An early standout on the album is the Boi-1da produced “I’m Gone,” featuring Big Sean. Here, Tyga speaks on leaving his old life behind for a new life of fortune and fame. The next track, “For The Fame,” deals with this newly acclaimed fame and fortune, as the rising YMCMB star has to make sure his girl “ain’t in it for the fame.” Chris Brown and Wynter Gordon complement Tyga on the Jess Jackson-produced track.

At the album’s halfway point, a trio of bass-heavy, trunk-rattlers including the popular “Rack City” and the Lil Wayne featured “Faded” give listeners a taste of the less-serious Tyga from mixtapes such as the Well Done series and the more recent #B*tchImTheSh*t.

The rest of the album is filled with memorable tracks, including the Cool & Dre produced “Let It Show,” which features a hot guest verse from J. Cole and is easily one of the best verses on the album. “Love Game” is an emotional song dealing with Tyga’s trying to make it work despite relationship struggles and constant fighting, “I want to make it right, ‘cause that was last night / Baby we gon’ be alright.” In the end, Tyga moves on and becomes “The Last King” without a queen.

Near its close, Tyga and Lil’ Wayne take album listeners back three years to “Lay You Down,” a track that was redone with new verses. The slow pace and guitar and piano filled beat provides an ideal canvas for his upbringing in Compton and dealing with all of the death around him.

Tyga’s first major label studio release is a surprisingly strong effort, and it looks as if he’ll be able to keep the ball rolling for YMCMB after debuting at #4 on Billboard’s Hot 200 Chart and kicking off his “Careless World Tour” last month. Some were concerned that Tyga would be unable to make music deeper than his platinum single “Rack City”, but with the release of Careless World: Rise Of The Last King, it seems that he has done just that.