— Coming off of his 2022 joint album with SmiffnWe$, Atlanta rapper Booney returns with his first complete solo album, Cheap Liquor.
In simple terms, Booney’s artistry can be explained with his signature phrase, “I spit my vision through my lyrics.” Using his own special mixture of authentically gripping subject matter, versatile songwriting, and masterful lyricism, that’s exactly what he does. If you need more convincing, look no further than his debut solo album, Cheap Liquor, released in August 2023.
Although concise, the 11-track, 27-minute project was a hefty offering complete with impeccable production, engaging skits, and expert storytelling that will leave listeners more than satisfied. Even before listening, the album’s cover art — shot and designed by Simo Haier Visuals — is a story within itself as it shows Booney standing outside of longstanding southside Atlanta liquor store, Old National Liquor.
With the bulk of the album’s production being handled by Q-Kno, additional production credits include producers Dr Sus, BABY PIKASO, DeeJulio, Dashcapism, and Aris Erth (No Mass) who all brilliantly made their own unique contributions to the album’s overall cohesive sound.
The opening track to the album, “Bottomless Mimosas,” is an inspirational record that sets the tone for the project and exemplifies Booney’s desire for more as he repeatedly chants, “we deserve all this sh*t.” With the song title serving as a metaphor for endless pleasure and boundless riches, Booney manifests his future wealth and lavish lifestyle. In fact, a luxurious music video for this very track, shot by Public School films, is out now.
Following “Bottomless Mimosas”, we get “4am in Biscayne” — a track that kicks off the nostalgic, introspective journey that the album inevitably takes us on. With vintage production slightly reminiscent of classic southern hip-hop records, Booney reflects on growing up with his homies, getting into adolescent mischief, and pursuing his ultimate goals while sidestepping obstacles along the way.
From there, we get into another nostalgic track with “Heritage Elementary.” Starting out with a skit where we listen in on a toxic couple’s early morning argument, Booney follows by using his world-class lyricism to paint a vivid picture of a Sunday morning in his childhood home as he raps,
“This that early mornin’ pops poppin’ that salmon on the skillet
Tender crisp, brown, round, flaky. Crunchy Church’s Chicken,
Church hymns, and bad intentions.
Earth livin’ for nine years, child full of gold ambitions
Acting out for the attention,
Deterred him into detentions.”
He then extends the walk down memory lane beyond his childhood home and showcases his genuine knowledge of Atlanta culture by referencing a number of locations and activities near and dear to anyone familiar with Atlanta’s southside.
The next track, “White Wine,” is the album’s lead single released back in November 2022. Despite the single dropping almost a year before the album’s release, the song fit incredibly well within the flow of the project — a testament to Booney’s patience, precision, and attention to detail. Led by a smooth piano melody and rich production courtesy of Q-Kno, “White Wine” is an uptempo celebration of life, growth, and elevation similar to “Bottomless Mimosas.”
The fifth track, “Camp Creek Freestyle,” finds Booney deploying a buttery flow with assertive and poised delivery to drop gems on his past life experiences over a hypnotic vocal sample-based instrumental. The song’s somber tone, its loose “freestyle-like” song structure, as well as the fact that it’s placed about halfway through the album allows “Camp Creek Freestyle” to serve as an interlude for the project.
The following track, “FourLoko Skit,” serves as an extension of the aforementioned interlude as Booney prepares to get into a deeper, even darker, portion of the album’s story. The 40-second skit reenacts an important crossroads in the lives of many young men living in inner cities across America. Upon speaking to a classmate that has seemingly been skipping school, Booney learns that he’s now drinking Four Lokos, views watching wrestling as “childish”, and has joined a gang. The hilarious, yet clever, sound effects of a third-party doing the “Soulja Boy dance” in the background tells us that this conversation happened around 2007 when Booney would have been in middle school.
On “Gas Station” — arguably the best song on the entire project — the album takes a bit of a turn. The production, handled by BABY PIKASO, is ominous and moody, reminiscent of the vibe felt at any gas station in the hood. Coming off the following skit, the album’s mood begins to change as Booney starts to illustrate some of the more “dicey” sides of coming up on Atlanta’s southside. The gas station is one of the notorious hangouts in the hood whether you’re restocking on drinks or Backwoods, meeting up to discuss plans for the night, or simply getting some “gas”. Still, what we all know is that things can go left in an instant and Booney did an incredible job encapsulating and translating all of these conflicting emotions into one masterfully-done record.
“FourLoko” ever-so-slightly turns the album’s tempo back up by using a classic Western-ballad style guitar riff and knocking 808s as the key components in an irresistible instrumental courtesy of DeeJulio. Booney then comes through and compliments the production flawlessly, delivering his bars like a lone ranger coming to take all the gold for himself and his entire squad rapping bars like,
“I just did a stage dive and I don’t even dive, but I’m lovin’ the feelin’…
We shootin’ shots, penicillin…
We play hard for the home team, doin’ GOAT numbers for the village…
As well as lyrics like,
“I was on that long road on that straight stroll and it wasn’t no stopping
We break every move down to a ‘T’ and these n*ggas move sloppy”
Starting off with another relatable skit, “Uncle Pat” finds Booney reminiscing on past relationships. Like many of us, Booney is left wondering whether or not he made the right decisions as he focuses on his own career and personal growth. In the end, it seems that Booney comes to terms with the fact that life has its phases and everything doesn’t always work out. With a few vices to help him cope and time spent with the real ones around him, Booney puts one foot in front of the other and continues to climb the figurative ladder.
“Case 2XXX DUI” is yet another bold and anthemic track where Booney finds himself dropping gems and sharing game. In fact, he doesn’t waste a single bar throughout the entire record, reflecting on his own life and imparting wisdom with every line. The profoundly grand production — incorporating the use of live instrumentation like blaring horns, elegant strings, and a full range of percussion — set the stage for Booney’s insightful subject matter and prophetic delivery.
The album comes to a graceful close with the poetic title track, “Cheap Liquor.” This expressive record comes with even more introspection as Booney sips on cheap liquor and finds himself recalling past days as he raps,
“No love in this cheap liquor, it’s all in my system
reminiscing on the old days, godd*mn I miss ‘em…
I reach my altitude, I change my attitude
‘Cause my flight reach top height, I show gratitude drinkin’ Absolut”
Simply put, “Cheap Liquor,” is an intensely thoughtful record and wraps up an incredibly introspective album in flawless fashion.
All things considered, Cheap Liquor is an excellent body of work from Booney that is even more impressive considering it’s his first ever solo project. Adding the fact that he also has no featured artists on the project, Booney showcases both his exceptional talent and unwavering fearlessness in one single stroke.
Listen to the entire Cheap Liquor album and watch the “Bottomless Mimosas” music video right here. Also, be sure to follow Booney on Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date with his latest moves.