Bhad Bhabie // 15

Atlantic Records

2.5 Stars

Bhad Bhabie, aka Danielle Bregoli, aka the "Cash Me Ousside Howbow Dah" girl, whose viral outburst on Dr. Phil spread like wildfire in 2016, is a rapper now. Feel free to take a minute to process that sentence. Ready for this next part? The 15(!) year old's debut mixtape, 15, features such high-caliber guests as YG, Lil Yachty, and Ty Dolla $ign. The hypothetical ethics of a caucasian minor appropriating African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) to make a name for herself are enough to keep a young writer up at night, but alas, I'm just here to let you know how it is. And in all honesty? It could be much, much worse. The trend-hopping beats here are passable, and at times, pretty damn good ("Gucci Flip Flops," "Hi Bich" [sic]). If we're being honest, Bregoli's story is inextricably tied to her music (much like any artist), so her credibility seems as questionable as her skills as a first-time MC – there's a lot of repeat phrases in place of actual bars, and most of the songs here barely hit the two-and-a-half minute mark – but with an open enough mind, Bregoli's debut project is pleasant and feature-heavy enough to keep it from being the year's worst project (a title that, may I remind you, belongs to Kamikaze). – Aaron Mook