The Las Vegas rapper finally dropped his long-awaited sophomore album and we ranked our favorite bars. Check it out.
Baby Keem
pgLang
Baby Keem is officially back.
The Las Vegas rapper’s debut album The Melodic Blue dropped in 2021 — and while that might seem like a long time, he’s remained somewhat active during that gap, appearing alongside his cousin Kendrick Lamar on the Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers song “Savior,” the duo single “The Hillbillies” and on the Fred again.. track “leavmealone” back in 2023, respectively. And one can also assume that the battle that popped off between Drake and Kendrick in 2024 might’ve affected pgLang’s release schedule a bit.
Hitting DSPs at midnight on Friday (Feb. 20), Ca$ino is a super-personal affair, peppered with some stuntastic pimpery with his hometown of Vegas as the backdrop. It’s a bit of a heavy swing for a sophomore album — and he tells you that he’s been in the lab “switchin’ up the category” on the project’s intro “No Security.” In the lead-up to release, Keem released a three-part documentary about his life up until this point, and his family member and label boss was able to see that his younger second cousin had some talent at an early age. “I got a thousand f—in’ cousins, man,” he said. “A thousand friends that rap and do music and s—t. Out of all of them, he was the best one at 14-15 years old.”
He was right — because about three or four years later, 2 Phone was dropping songs and tapes on the Internet when he was in his late teens. And while Ca$ino is a bit heavy at times, we still managed to pluck some fun lines from the likes of Kendrick, the legendary Too $hort, and of course Keem.
Peep the 12 best lines on Ca$ino below.
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“I can promise n—as this, I am not for everybody/ I can drop on everybody, it’s a mop for everybody/ But I stay inside my laboratory, switchin’ up the category”
Song: “No Security”
Who said it? Baby KeemHe wasn’t lying. While this project has some of the sound that we’ve come to associate with Keem, I was taken aback by some of the transparency and vulnerability he displayed on this, all while still beating his chest as he tries to carve out a lane for himself in this already-crowded game. He was busy switching up the style a bit during that five-year gap between albums.
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“Nowadays, I’m more outraged, this time I can’t just lie down/ My b—h did some evil things, I got one on the side now/ You won’t kick it when my album drop, you ’bout to strike out”
Song: “Ca$ino”
Who said it? Baby KeemWe’ve all been there before. Who among us can’t relate to evil significant others with ulterior motives?
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“Shawty, what’s up with your lifestyle?/ You’re movin’ too loosely, I thought you was vogue/ N—a, you tweaked in my absence/ Who new on the playlist? Go cut out that noise/ I’m back on my business, I’m feelin’ alive, ah, we killin’ ’em boys”
Song: “Ca$ino”
Who said it? Baby KeemThis could be a shot at the rest of the game since pgLang is currently running things by way of Kendrick, but let’s just applaud the bravodo and s—t-talking.
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“That slot machine that nobody held /N—as gamble with they life, scared to bet on themsеlves”
Song: “I Am Not a Lyricist”
Who said it? Baby KeemYou need to watch the documentary to truly get this line. Never be afraid to bet on yourself.
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“B—ch, I’m tired of lyin’ to you and actin’ like it’s fact/ I hate a curious b—ch, always askin’, ‘What’s that?’”
Song: “Birds & the Bees”
Who said it? Baby KeemThis hits better when you hear it within the song, so go hit play or stream it or whatever the kids do these days.
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“The gay homie said you n—as is buns/ Whatever you’re doin’, that s—t is not givin’”
Song: “Ca$ino”
Who said it? Baby KeemShouts to Keem for incorporating ballroom slang into his raps. It’s giving ally.
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“I was put here on a mission that you wouldn’t understand/ I don’t want no rapper friends, I’m in the ghetto with my plans/ I been buildin’ like a n—a put a Lego in my hands”
Song: “Circus Circus Free$tyle”
Who said it? Baby KeemKeem seems motivated and I like how he’s not interested in building lego sets with other rappers that aren’t related to him.
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“He put his name on his chain, what the f—k he got a name for?/ N—as know my name, what the f—k I need the chain for?”
Song: “House Money”
Who said it? Baby KeemMy pops was a basketball coach, and he always asked guys with their names tatted if they forget their names often. I used to think it was a corny dad joke, but I understand him more as I get older.
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“I can tell this your first bad b—h, you elated ’bout that s—t”
Song: “House Money”
Who said it? Baby KeemYou can always tell. Let’s act like you’ve been here before, buddy.
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“Lookin’ like she know how to get it/Make a square n—a wanna hit it/ You fallin’ in love with these women/ But they fallin’ in love with this pimpin’”
Song: “$ex Appeal”
Who said it? Too $hortClassic $hort Dog smh.
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“I’m helpin’ fyne s—t buy up her body/ I just cleared a million, it didn’t excite me”
Song: “Ca$ino”
Who said it? Baby KeemThis is when you know that you’re getting too much money.
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“To be honest, n—as love love too/ S—t, I gossip with my b—h like I’m Young Thug too”
Song: “Good Flirts” (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Momo Boyd)
Who said it? Kendrick LamarFirst of all, this song is a hit. Second of all, Kendrick had to give Thug a light jab for expressing his disappointment about not being able to secure a Dot feature on them jail calls.
