Denzel Curry’s King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 serves as a sequel to the Miami rapper’s 2012 mixtape, which he recorded as a teen when he was part of the proto-SoundCloud-rap collective Raider Klan. Having long toyed with alter egos—King of the Mischievous South Vol. 1 is credited to “Raider Miyagi”—the new project finds him introducing another persona, the unabashedly boastful Big Ultra.
Vol. 2 looks back to the streets far more than Curry’s recent releases, like 2022’s Melt My Eyez See Your Future. On “Sked,” the rapper declares, “I don’t go to sleep without a glock by my bed/I don’t say no names ’cause them boys might be the feds.” The track buzzes with eerie synthesizer bass and drops almost everything but the drums during the verses.
Every track on Vol. 2 features at least one guest, reflecting a spirit of friendly competition. But while Curry willingly gives space to other rappers, he holds his own alongside featured artists sporting flows as disparate as PlayThatBoiZay (with his raw aggression) and That Mexican OT (with his distinctive rolled consonants). Indeed, the album’s energy is derived largely from the contrast between Curry and his guests. For example, the lush, R&B-tinged “Cole Pimp”—with Ty Dolla $ign turning up as the album’s sole non-rap feature—is only two tracks removed from the thunderous, 808-driven “Hit the Floor” in the sequencing.
Moving away from the introspection of the title track of 2018’s Taboo and “Ricky,” from 2019’s ZUU, Curry lets loose as Big Ultra, giving himself license to cultivate his indulgences: “I like my weed louder,” he quips on “Black Flag Freestyle.” Curry commits to the bit, even when perpetuating stereotypes like “Being broke my kryptonite/Being rich my superpower.”
Still, Vol. 2’s braggadocio is countered by the enthusiasm that Curry and his roster of guests bring to the album. Having long since proven his skill as a lyricist, Curry is more concerned with having a good time here. And that also makes for a hell of a good listen.
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