Michigan rapper Peezy first caught ears as a solo artist in 2014 with Mud Muzik, the first in a series of lean-inspired albums showcasing his villainous wit and natural gift for storytelling. But in 2019, that momentum was halted when he was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on racketeering charges. Since his release in February 2021, Peezy’s life has looked different; he says he’s given up opiates and crime in lieu of running his own independent label, #Boyz Entertainment. His latest offering, the 21-song ONLY BUILT 4 DIAMOND LINKS, shows a veteran artist doubling down on the persona he’s cultivated since his early days, expanding the aperture of his street tales with post-prison clarity.
On “Hustler Vs. Scammer,” Peezy fondly remembers what it was like to be 17 with his own trap house, making fast money and having casual sex, as he recalls minute details like the precise amounts of cocaine he used to buy or the brand of soda he mixed with codeine cough syrup to avoid withdrawls. But treachery was never far. “Bro stabbed me in the back, felt like it was Jason/I’ve endured so much pain, I can hardly take it,” Peezy says over gloomy, piano-driven production that builds in intensity with his rapping. Even while telling war stories, he stays grounded, reminding the listener that he’s happily married now and no longer living in squalor. That song’s title comments on the widening gap between the Detroit where Peezy spent 11 years building a music career and the more recent wave of Michigan scam rappers like BabyTron and Teejayx6. Peezy wisely avoids trend-chasing adaptation by doubling down on the rambling flow that’s more stylistically similar to current L.A. street rap like BlueBucksClan or Ralfy the Plug.
Peezy’s storytelling has only grown more cinematic since transitioning into a full-time rapper and label boss. There’s a newfound sentimentality to his perspective that reflects his understanding of how precarious this new life is. The soulful “Married to Da Game” and the boastful “Murder 4 Hire” are straight bars, with Peezy doling out life advice like a boss who’s annoyed about having to explain how things work again. The effortless cool of “Cruise” and the darkly humorous “Don’t Call Me Twin” reflect the irreverent fun of Rio Da Yung OG and RMC Mike, who Peezy once mentored; while the two rising artists from neighboring Flint, Michigan don’t appear on the album, their influence can be found in Peezy’s deadpan taunts and quick-witted humor. No song better distills Peezy’s new outlook than the Mozzy-assisted “Can’t Explain,” where Peezy raps, “It don’t make no sense to have them M’s and still be in the trap/It don’t make sense to make it out and keep on coming back.” The beat is softer and more melodic than we’re used to hearing from Peezy, reflecting a slight dissolution of the no-frills, cutthroat attitude of earlier records.
