On his full-length debut, rapper and City of Ink co-owner Tuki Carter of Taylor Gang (Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J) catalogs a variety of entries in his hardworking, traveling stoner chronicles. The record carries with it a classic smoke-and-groove vibe without losing sight of what’s fresh on the streets. Essentially you could say Tuki created Flowers & Planes for the everyman or woman who prefers old-school rap (think late ’80s through early ’00s), but they tolerate the new shit because, hey, at least the beats are nice.
Speaking of beats, there are some bass-heavy bangers on this album that help balance the current trance of trap music with other popular sounds created outside the Atlanta region. In fact, Flowers & Planes has so much G-funk in it that Nate Dogg and Tupac are probably listening to it in heaven right now, two-stepping in brown leather sandals, while toting their personal carafes of Hennessey.
If you’re looking for album standouts, look no further than the one-two punch of the title track and “Hollywood,” both of which feature spotlight-stealing production from fellow Taylor Gang artist RMB Justize, as well as some quality bars from Wiz. The fun doesn’t end with RMB, however, as Ducko McFli lays the heat with “Bustin’ Loose.” The dynamic track pushes Tuki to up his delivery and flow, resulting in a smooth, one-take lyrical flex on each verse. Anticipate seeing him perform this track live to wow you! However, while Ducko provides a one-hitter quitter, TM88 (formerly of 808 Mafia) slides Tuki an average beat on “Reindeer Dash” with its repetitive loop of a low, melodic church organ.
For my money though, Flowers & Planes finds its high point with the trunk-rattling “Brewster’s Millions,” which could easily be a new Motivational Monday anthem. Producer Rah Groove adds a high-powered electric keyboard to the deep baseline, yielding yet more G-funk fire for Tuki to tell his fans to get that money.
Although he allows himself to get emotional on a couple of songs, for the most part Tuki approaches Flowers & Planes with his signature fast-paced style. Still, he’s a little more in tune with each beat’s hop than his previous solo EPs or his work with his former group Hollyweerd. All in all, this album is a solid “I’m on my grown b-I” summer groove for a day — or night — of, well, errands.
Flowers & Planes is available now on all major digital services and streaming platforms.
More Info
Web: tukicartermusic.com
Facebook: @tukicarter
Instagram: @tukicarter
SoundCloud: @tuki-carter
Twitter: @tukicarter