Did Baby Keem Hit the Jackpot on Ca$ino?
Image Courtesy of pgLang
By Joey Brasco
A recurring theme of music in 2026 is long-awaited hip-hop releases finally seeing the light of day. With blockbuster releases from both J. Cole and A$AP Rocky already in the books, Baby Keem (who is also Kendrick Lamar’s cousin) has thrown his name into the mix and has comfortably stood toe-to-toe with these artists with his newest album, Ca$ino.
Taking a page out of his cousin Kendrick’s playbook, Keem has kept fans waiting for nearly five years since the release of his debut album, The Melodic Blue. Much like that album, Ca$ino has been heavily discussed on the back of high-profile collaborations with the aforementioned Kendrick Lamar, as well as the oddball charm of Keem’s tunes.
Keem sets a very distinct tone on the devastating opener, “No Security.” The song is a diaristic track lamenting his difficult upbringing, especially when it comes to Keem’s relationship with his mother. He raps, “my mama look at me just like she goin’ to the bank,” a blunt synopsis of how money has made an already tenuous relationship more difficult. The bare production, carried only by a mournful soul-sample and no drums, provides Keem the perfect atmosphere to get a lot off his chest.
Keem then introduces the more aggressive side to this album on the second track, “Ca$ino,” where he delivers rapid-fire bars over a triumphant rage-rap beat with synths that sound like they were pulled from a video game. There is a distinct pivot in the lyrical focus on this song as opposed to the intro, as Keem abruptly transitions from lamenting his past to flexing his new Porsche and watches. Mind you, Keem expresses these two moods very well, but the clash of having them immediately juxtaposed in the album sequencing is a peek into Keem’s psyche that may not have been intentional by the artist. For more on this dichotomy, check out this review by YouTuber “What’s the Buzz?”
The track, “Good Flirts,” features one of the two Kendrick Lamar inclusions on this record, with an aptly flirtatious tune delivered over one of the simpler instrumentals on the album. Keem provides a sweet and well-sung melody on the chorus, which oddly resembles that of the Chainsmokers’ “Closer.” Kendrick spends most of his verse referencing his partner’s “booty” and comes off more pervy than flirty. Unfortunately, in the pantheon of fantastic Keem and Kendrick crossovers, this is not up to par.
The tracklist really picks up around “House Money,” where Keem and Kendrick link up for a much more exhilarating tune. More soul-sampling and thunderous production make for one of the most instantaneous tracks on the album. Keem is delivering amped and squeaky-vocals on the verses, while Kendrick’s tough-guy inflections on the chorus make for an uncompromising energy. The two seem to have a blast making music together, with Kendrick especially carrying himself with a sillier and more carefree energy whenever he’s collaborating with Keem.
Keem showcases his abilities as a vocal chameleon on “I am not a Lyricist,” where, ironically given the title, Keem delivers some of his densest verses on the album while sounding uncanily like Outkast’s Andre 3000. Keem’s “serious tone,” which he utilizes on this song, contrasts with his more idiosyncratic inflections and will remind some listeners of Detroit’s own Danny Brown, who similarly showed a tendency to abruptly swap between a frantic voice and a somber tone depending on the purpose of a given track.
“$ex Appeal” featuring Too $hort is a hypnotically danceable track that features a looped sample and booming bass. He and $hort have fun chemistry, which results in one of the bounciest and most entertaining songs on the tracklist. Once more, though, there is a noticeable gap between the two tones of this album, with not much effort on Keem’s part to bridge the gap between the bipolarity of the music here.
“Circus Circus Free$tyle” and “Dramatic Girl” are prime examples of Keem in a fun and wildly creative mindset. Following a menacing and cutthroat intro, the former gives way to another horn-backed instrumental and dynamic flows from Keem. Keem even proclaims he is a “caveman” and unleashes a hilarious “ooga booga flow.” The number of times Keem changes his voice on this song is astounding; it is almost as if there are multiple featured artists on the same track.
“Dramatic Girl” is a sweet acoustic-pop anthem that proves that there are no boundaries to Keem’s creative whims. It is a sweet and pure-hearted love song that showcases Keem’s exuberant and infectious pop vocals. Surely this will persist as an enduring hit from this album.
A sharp pivot is taken once more with the closer, “No Blame.” Here, Keem acknowledges his mother’s shortcomings with intense sorrow, and if not a sense of forgiveness, then at least some sort of understanding. It’s a gut-punch moment that fits snugly alongside the opening song, yet it still clashes with some of the more hedonistic and care-free moments on the record that came before it. The momentum of the tragic piano chords and Keem’s emotional lines feels like a moment where he is acknowledging the pain that shaped him and choosing to leave them in the past.
Ca$ino is an incredibly disjointed album. Each song seems to exist in its own world, as Keem seems keen to explore different moods, genres, and vocal deliveries on a moment’s notice. It just so happens that most of these individual moments are great in isolation; however, they fail to deliver a consistent tone throughout the tracklist. Keem seems torn between wanting to make kooky and explosive bangers, reveling in excess, as well as more emotionally tortured songs delving into his psyche. He does both styles remarkably well, but it makes this recent release feel like an album born from two distinct states of mind. The question remains: What direction does Keem go from here? Does he learn to meld these various artistic whims into one consistent tone or continue to allow his art to be pulled in disparate directions? Whichever direction he chooses, this record will inspire intense anticipation for his next musical statement.
Can’t Miss Songs: No Security, Ca$ino, House Money, $ex Appeal, Circus Circus Free$tyle, Dramatic Girl, No Blame
