Music
Full Speed
A so-so rapper who's got some Kanye-size ambitions
L.A. rapper Kid Ink stormed the charts in late 2013 — not as a unique hip-hop voice but as a conduit for DJ Mustard beats and Chris Brown guest spots. On his second major-label album, he has more artistic aspirations, though they’re mostly flat Kanye retreads: obscure prog-rock samples (“Faster”), “All of the Lights”-style horn arrangements (“What It Feels Like”), and recruiting today’s hot young regional sensations (Dej Loaf, Young Thug, Migos) as supporting cast. But excellently crafted radio fare — the candy-coated “Body Language,” the Snootie Wild-inspired “Dolo” and the Nineties-R&B-steeped “About Mine” — sticks out, even if Kid Ink doesn’t.