A Great Chaos (Deluxe) by Ken Carson: Review

The Opium rapper's sophomore album redefines the rage subgenre

ITS LIKE I NEVER LEFT

Intro

How does Ken Carson do it?

I read up on some of his lore and learned that he genuinely just doesn’t like music very much—and I think that’s obvious in his first project, X, which truly doesn’t sound like music. X sounded like a watered-down, disorganized version of Carti’s Whole Lotta Red, another clone made to capitalize off that project’s popularity.

But with A Great Chaos, Ken handily beats the mid allegations by dropping some of the best instrumentals and moshpit tracks of the decade. Every song’s production here is varied and shines (or in some cases, flops) in their own way. The album goes absolutely crazy during workouts and creates an immersive atmosphere that’s changed my opinion on the rage subgenre.

With that said, let’s dive into one of the most surprisingly good releases of the year.

Recap and Thoughts

I’m disregarding the lyrics for a good portion of the album. For a project like this, simply focusing on the aggressive mood with mumbly vocal delivery, what Ken has to say isn’t of great importance. He opens multiple songs with just distorted noises he makes, such as the really confusing “Succubus”:

(Wake up—)

Yeah-ah, yeah-ah

Yeah-ah, yeah, yeah, uh

Yeah-ah

Most glaringly, one of the hardest instrumentals on the album is wasted on a verse that’s just about—well, see for yourself:

My white ho got big titties, she remind me of Sydney Sweeney

Sydney Sweeney, Sydney Sweeney

I rock that stick like it's a purse, yeah, my chopper swinging

Like Sydney Sweeney, my stick have them titties underneath

Like Sydney Sweeney, my bitch titties big like double D

I’m not sure how much of the lyricism is intended to be ironic, though, as there are some pretty funny bars mixed in here and there, like on “It’s Over”:

Got my pants fallin’, hundred racks in my britches, huh

Got my pants fallin’, these racks in my britches, huh

Got my pants fallin’, these racks in my britches, huh

Even on the more introspective and emotional songs, which are interesting pivots for a rage rapper, Ken can’t help but bring up his fit: 

Like oxygen, without you, baby girl, I can’t breathe

I been showin’ off my pain lately, I tatted up my sleeve, yeah

Balenciaga my jeans, yeah

Rick Owens still on my tee, yeah

I have no idea what stage of capitalism this verse represents. This song as well as “Green Room” are huge points of lyrical whiplash on the album, as Ken spends 10+ songs dropping bars like

This bitch a freak, this bitch let me fuck her anywhere

and 

Blonde shit, I got this blonde bitch tryna suck me

but then spends some other tracks making an attempt at being vulnerable, like on “Green Room”:

Bitch I’m at the top, ain’t got no opps, ain’t got no opponents

When you at the top, and nobody there, it get real lonely

A for effort, I guess. Ignoring context, “Green Room” is this project’s lyrical standout, providing more self-reflection than I think anyone expected from an Opium release. He expresses how fame has put him out of touch with his upbringing and made him completely unreliable:

And you can’t relate ‘cause what I been doin’ lately feel so unreal

And I get depressed, but I know there’s nobody that feel how I feel

Yeah, I respect the lil’ killa tryna catch a kill

I remember way-way back in the day, we couldn’t even afford no meal

What I spent on purple drank, I coulda paid your bills all for a year

I was Uberin’ everywhere now it’s two-twenty on my dash when I steer

But the best way to enjoy this album is when you let go of trying to latch onto any meaning. The best comparison I can make is that listening to Ken (and Opium in general, kind of) is like watching a terrible horror movie—don’t pay attention to the plot, just the carnage. (I’m also a wuss who’s never watched a horror movie before, so this could definitely be a terrible analogy)

And when you do pay attention to simply the sound of it all, this album becomes a near-masterpiece in production.

Let’s go through the highlights.

“Fighting My Demons” has possibly the hardest beat drop of all time. It elevates me and puts me on a motivational high for the 30 seconds it lasts every time I hear it.

I been fighting my demons, huh

I been fighting my—, yeah

I been fighting my demons, huh

I been fighting my—, yeah

I been fighting my demons, huh

I been fighting my—, huh

This was my most replayed song in August because it was, without fail, the last song I played every day at the end of a workout. A lot of people flame him over fumbling the vocals and wasting this beat, but I’m honestly not sure who else could’ve done better—the distorted voice pairs very well with the instrumental, and this is the type of beat that 90s artists would have no idea how to rap over.

“Jennifer’s Body” is another popular track on this album. It has this ringtone ahh beat that’s wildly catchy, and again, Ken’s “imperfect” vocals suit that beat very well. I think “baby Future” accurately describes his performance style on these tracks, with Ken using the same voice-warping effects that made Future so popular.

His flow on this song is honestly great for someone whose first project was essentially just glorified electronic music:

If I go broke, I'm takin' your funds, yeah, bitch, I need it

Gave you the whole book on how to get rich and you ain't even read it

Jennifer's Body, my bitch is a hottie, my bitch is a boy eater

She don't even want no food, this dick the only thing I feed her

This bitch a thot, ain't no way, huh, I'ma keep her

I made a hunnid K in a hunnid ways, 'cause that's what I keep it

Keep it a hunnid

But without a doubt, “Me N My Kup” provides the album’s hardest instrumental. It’s immediately hype off the rip with no buildup, it’s one of the longest songs on the album (and stays strong through its whole duration), and the descending notes in the backdrop of the beat are exhilarating.

Again, his flow is surprisingly great.

I copped a Mercedes and it's a AMG, I'm ridin' a G-Wagon truck

I just might go and buy the SVJ ‘cause I like how the doors go up

My boy, he be catchin' them bodies, he catchin' them bodies, I'm watching the scores go up

Your gang probably caught a few bodies, but I ain't worried about it, 'cause we droppin' more than them

But with an album like this that tries to slap crazy beats onto every song, there are bound to be misses, and that gives way to the most ear-melting and worst song on the project, “Lose It,” with a beat sounding like a synth in a washing machine.

What takes this LP from “yeah, it has a few bangers” to “wait, this is actually kinda good” is how Ken diversifies his production style. A lot of the beats are more cloud rap-like rather than the unrelenting bass we’re used to getting from Opium. The album’s best tracks are its most aggressive, but these other styles also shine.

“Pots” is the first production anomaly, having a bassy dance-style type of beat. I really like the vibes and I think the style fits perfectly.

Immediately after, we get “Like This,” which features Lil Uzi Vert and is another interesting shift from the rest of the album. All of these songs sound a lot more melodic and calming, being more pop-centric than the rest of the album, firmly in the rage category. I think this duality works very well. Though these songs can’t top the excitement of the project’s most exciting tracks, it shows that Ken Carson can do more than just make moshpit songs.

they are high on another planet in this video

Summary

In A Great Chaos (Deluxe), Ken brings us incredibly strong production paired with vocals that complement his instrumentals greatly. There are some misses and songs that seem incomplete, but it’s a more complete and solid project than the Opium label usually produces. (not kidding, this restored my faith in Opium rappers, so I checked out the rest of their work—none of it lives up to this apart from Carti)

It’s honestly impressive how Ken can experiment with slower and less aggressive sound while still not losing his signature electronic style which made him stand out. For that, I’m excited for what’s to come.

Song-by-Song Breakdown

Green Room: 8/10
Jennifer’s Body: 8/10
Fighting My Demons: 10/10
Singapore: 8/10
Lose It: 5/10
Hardcore: 7/10
Me N My Kup: 9/10
It’s Over: 7/10
Succubus: 6/10
Paranoid: 7/10
Pots: 7/10
Like This: 8/10
Overtime: 6/10
Vampire Hour: 7/10
Nightcore: 6/10
Nightcore 2: 6/10
Rockstar Lifestyle: 7/10
i need u: 7/10
loading: 6/10
more chaos: 6/10
toxic: 5/10
leather jacket: 6/10
mewtwo: 6/10
ss: 9/10
overseas: 9/10

OVERALL: 7.6/10

Best:

1. Fighting My Demons

2. Me N My Kup

3. ss

Worst: Lose It

Best Lyricism: Green Room

Best Production: Fighting My Demons

Best Performance: Fighting My Demons

Best Feature: Lil Uzi Vert, Like This (but Destroy Lonely on Singapore is a VERY close second, they both snapped on that track)

Most Overrated: Succubus

Most Underrated: Green Room