BigXthaPlug Wrestles With Success on ‘Better Over Time’

BigXthaPlug’s new album, *Better Over Time*, pairs his forceful, traditional rap style with songs about the strain of sudden success. The review says his frustration with people who gossip about or envy him sometimes overshadows the celebratory victory lap his rise might suggest.

The album draws on older hip-hop and R&B, including a sample of the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Sky’s the Limit” and a revived 112 chorus. It also moves between styles, from the pop-leaning “Burn” with Ava Max to “Lite” and “Believe”, featuring Babyface Ray and Lil Yachty; GloRilla appears on “FAF”. Family and financial pressure recur in the lyrics, alongside flashes of humour and pleasure.