Before the very foundations of 6ix9ine's world came crashing down in a rainbow-tinted supernova, DUMMY BOY was set to arrive on November 23rd, the culmination of his breakout year. Unfortunately, his incarceration led to the project's delay, with the rapper's team citing "circumstances beyond our control." Yet given the project's recent leak, it would appear that 6ix9ine has had a change of heart, coming to accept inevitability and give himself to momentum. Now, DUMMY BOY has arrived, featuring appearances from Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, A Boogie, Tory Lanez, Gunna, Lil Baby, Anuel AA, Scott Storch, and more.
If you're not partial to 6ix9ine's aggressive, brash delivery, it's likely DUMMY BOY will change your mind. Yet the project finds the rainbow wonder more refined than usual, bringing forth several pristine instrumentals from Murda and Storch, among others. Guest appearances, while frequent, serve Tekashi well, carrying some of the burden exposed by his lyrical limitations. Still, he's charismatic enough to get by, and just when you think he's exhausted his bag of tricks, the rapper switches up the flow. Highlights include the lewd-n-crude, Yeezy-assisted "FEEFA," the melodic Gunna collaboration "Kanga," and the Nicki Minaj and Ye backed-posse cut "MAMA." "Wondo" also features what may very well be the year's best ad-lib: "WONDO'S" passionate closing cry of "DVDS!!!!!!!"
In a bittersweet twist of fate, it's entirely possible that 6ix9ine's incarceration will ultimately come to benefit the album's numbers. Perhaps the Billboard streak will continue after all, even if the rapper isn't around to boast about his accomplishments. It may no longer be "Treyway," but should 6ix9ine emerge from this debacle unscathed, there may be hope for him yet.