Chase N. Cashe, Charm Review

With Charm, Chase N. Cashe propels the high opinion he's garnered as a producer, to match his reception as a rapper.

As far as bars, Cashe has been considered an "Under Dawg," as the title of the opening track claims. Over the stellar beat by Tha Business, the Surf Club rep shows his lyrical upturn, not through the objectionable hook. Comparably, Cashe excites on "iRevolutionary," certainly one of Charm's high points. "A lot up on my mind/Not a lot up on my plate/Starving to get a mill and striving to get away/To a house on the hill, so I could go chill/What else can I do for my country but stay real?" Cashe spits on the record.

Into the bargain, the licentious track "Beastin'" is as cold, not to mention it features fittingly boastful bars from A$AP Rocky. "I'm a motherfucking dog, a motherfucking beast/Okay, that's your broad? Well keep that bitch up on a leash/I tell that bitch to wipe her paws before she get up in my sheets/Keep that bitch on all fours, she deserve a doggy treat," Rocky dehumanizes the subject on the banger. What's more, Cashe doesn't ease off on impressing with tracks like "Ransom Note," in which the musician reads off a list of demands to the industry, holding the rap game hostage with unremitting bars, sacrificing the inclusion of a hook to show he means business. "Kill Your Self," is another standout, which the New Orleans native discloses his bond with gifted producer Hit-Boy as well as his aspiration "to be the people's favorite rapper."

But Charm shows Cashe still has room for improvements. "Nosy" lacked cohesion throughout the verses. To boot, the female-friendly "Star 67" and "Chill" come across as indistinguishable in subject matters.

Cashe does more than Charm listeners with a batch of nifty tracks. It's clear, he draws attention to his progress as a rapper. Ironically, few shaky beats, one by Jahlil Beats ("Line of Fire"), Mark Christian ("Star 67") and himself ("D.A.M.N."), are the album's low points. Still, overcoming some stumbles is what an "Under Dawg" does, and this project serves as a charm, proving he's capable. —Christopher Minaya (@CM_3)