Last Friday, Cole Bennett, the director, videographer and producer behind Lyrical Lemonade, released his debut album All is Yellow. When it was founded in 2013, Lyrical Lemonade was a simple blog dedicated to music videos. Over the past few years, the company has grown enormously, going on to create its own festival, The Summer Smash, as well as a clothing line. To understand the scope of the Chicago creator’s empire, consider that at one point, virtually every artist who appeared on his YouTube channel was an instant hit. His influence on music trends was extremely powerful in 2018.
As you might expect, Cole Bennett doesn’t sing or create beats. His goal with All is Yellow: to create the best possible collaborations and translate his artistic vision into music. Embarking on the production of an album and bringing together the equivalent of the Avengers of the hip-hop and rap scene is a formula that has been seen time and time again in recent years. All too often, the end result is a project with no real thread running through it, devoid of quality; just think of DJ Khaled’s latest creations… And yet, history has not repeated itself in the case of All is Yellow, at least not completely.
The project opens with “Fly Away,” a collaboration between rappers Sheck Wes, Ski Mask the Slump God and the excellent JID. The three men deliver some excellent verses and set the tone for the rest of the album. What’s most striking about this first track is its cinematic atmosphere; the song sounds as if it were created especially for a music video.
All is Yellow slows down with Lil Durk and Kid Cudi’s “Guitar in My Room,” a more melodic track than the previous one. Thereafter, collaborations abound: Chief Keef and Lil Yachty have a blast on “Say Ya Grace,” Denzel Curry and others take center stage on “First Night,” Aminé marries perfectly with the summery rhythm of “Special,” and the list goes on.
Even after several listens, it’s hard to point the finger at any one of the 34 collaborators. Cole Bennett’s flair has ensured that every one of them has come up trumps. The opus closes with “Stop Giving Me Advice” by Jack Harlow and Dave, unequivocally one of the highlights. The formula is simple but effective: a good sample, an American rapper swapping lines with a British counterpart and the 808s in full force.
Admittedly, the various tracks lack cohesion and Cole Bennett doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but All is Yellow nonetheless contains a palette of quality songs & productions navigating mainly between trap, melodic rap, R&B and old school. Approach this creation as a compilation of tracks by different artists, and you’re bound to find something you like!
