In a way, Coke Boys 4 is exactly what was expected. Plenty of features, varied production, and a heavy supply of trunk bangers make this a typical French Montana project. This time around, OTF rapper Lil Durk was notably involved after recently joining forces with the Coke Boy family. Even with Durk's contributions, however, the mixtape lacks originality. Though there is a healthy mix of tracks, from the buoyancy of "88 Coupes" to the intensity of "Wit It", too much of Coke Boys 4 sounds brutally generic.
French makes a statement early with the first song, "Coke Boyz". The call-and-response style hook and solid sixteens by Chinx Drugz and Meek Mill make for a proper intro. Following a skit, the next song shows just how far the Coke Boys have come in the rap/dope game. From its title to its beat, "Millionaire Thoughts" drips with wealth. "Ball like JR, scope on the AR/ Money gon' last in my pocket like an 8-ball," French raps. Coke Boys 4 begins well, but all momentum is lost with "Paranoid (Remix)".
Nowhere near as good as the original version found on last year's Excuse My French, "Paranoid (Remix)" is a problem that must be addressed. It's incredible how lackluster this remix is considering its all-star cast of French Montana, Diddy, Lil Durk, Rick Ross, Chinx Drugz, and Jadakiss. The main issue is the annoying static sound, it's as if the mic cord was being strangled during the recording of the track. To make matters worse, the hook is censored but the verses aren't-- it's just one big mess. Thankfully, the next few songs are all decent.
It's a shame we didn't see more from Harry Fraud on Coke Boys 4, because each of his productions were stand-outs. "88 Coupes" and "God Body" are both songs worth returning to. The chemistry between Harry and French is obvious, each of their collaborations have a natural sound. The problem with CB4 is that too much of it sounds artificial, especially the latter half.
Almost all the bangers fall off near the end of the tape. In a way, this cripples the project because each song gets really repetitive. The only tracks that shine near the end are "Don't Waste My Time" and "What You Call That".
Instead of relying heavily on features, French should have utilized group members Chinx Drugz and Cheeze more. This would have made it more authentic, like the earlier Coke Boys mixtapes. Coke Boys 4 has a few great tracks, but as a whole, it's a project that can be overlooked.
What were your thoughts about Coke Boys 4? Listen/download the tape below.
