Suga – ‘Agust D’ Album Review

This post is by guest writer Jara Rowe.

BTS‘s lead rapper, Suga, finally made his solo debut by releasing a 10 track mixtape by the name of Agust D. The name combines the rapper’s stage name with his hometown, Daegu (D-Town), then flipped backwards. Agust D was entirely produced by Suga and has a different finesse from BTS releases. Suga tackles a lot of topics in just 10 short tracks including calling out naysayers, the cost of being in the limelight, and his personal battle with depression and anxiety. Get a glimpse of Suga’s mind and soul in this heavy rap mixtape.

Track 1 – Intro: Dt sugA

Agust D is kicked off with a full sounding introduction via Intro: Dt sugA. With samplings from TV shows and radio spots, Suga introduces the listeners to what is to come on the mixtape. This is a short track with minor rapping, but it gets the point across and gets the listener hyped about what’s next.

Track 2 – Agust D

Marching drums grabs your attention right away with a sick hip hop beat soon blending in. Agust D allows Suga to display a fierce rap style over a thumping beat. He let’s people know that he is coming for them while stating that “This Kpop category ain’t big enough for me.” Suga makes sure no one forgets his name by constantly chanting “A to G to U to the STD.”

Track 3 – Give It to Me

Dawning a ruthless backtrack with hefty claps, Give It to Me, is a brimful track. Oriental music meets trap in this head bobber. Suga spits harsh lyrics with a slight rasp in his voice, a style that isn’t showcased much in BTS’s more mainstream music. There’s never a dull moment in give it to me and it allowed Suga to showcase the kind of dynamic rapper he truly is.

Track 4 – skit

Not reviewed.

Track 5 – 치리사일사팔 (724148)

There’s a sense of adventure exuding from 724148 with a unique baritone backtrack. This song references the buses Suga rode during his trainee days. There is a nice old school hip hop vibe that swoops in about a minute into the track. In 724148, Suga opens up about his struggles and anxiety, but he never asks for sympathy.

Track 6 – 140503 새벽에 (140503 at dawn)

140503 at dawn is more of an interlude than a full track. Suga once again opens up about his social phobia in a short amount of time. 140503 at dawn is a raw track where the listener can hear Suga spit in the sound booth about his feelings over a simple beat.

Track 7 – 마지막 (The Last)

To jump start this emotional number, heavy breathing is mixed with what sounds like a heart rate monitor to create full drama. The Last is raw, heavy, and sluggish which allows for everyone to feel the pain that’s being rapped about. The backtrack and stylings allow Suga to show a new flow and tone in his voice.

Track 8 – Tony Montana

Continuing with the dopey and gritty feel, Tony Montana features a well respected Korean rapper, Yankie. In Tony Montana, Suga compares himself to an iconic Scarface character. This is a dark, bona fide, hip hop track with a nice instrumental that allows the rappers to promote their flow.

Track 9 – Interlude; Dream, Reality

Completely switching gears, Interlude; Dream, Reality is a soft track that focuses mainly on piano. The piano allows for a dreamlike atmosphere but has a hint of sorrow and sadness. Suga can be heard echoing “dream” throughout this short but memorable interlude.

Track 10 – So Far Away

So Far Away ends the Agust D mixtape on a much softer and positive note. This track is very calming but still full of emotions. R&B singer Suran’s vocals are a perfect match for Suga’s flow. They come together to impart a sense of hope onto the listener and tell them to never stop dreaming. so far away is a great track to close out Suga’s self-reflecting story.

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