Musician, Baby Tate, adds a new album under her belt and is worth a listen.

Courtesy of StreamCut

Baby Tate is not a beginner in the music industry, with a discography that begins as early as 2016 with her song “B.B.L.U.” Her new album “Mani/Pedi,” named after two tracks on the album, is a testament to the hard work she has put into this album. Tate released “Mani/Pedi” on September 30, 2022.  The album is an amalgamation of two genres that are prevalent in the black community, rap and R&B. Tate seamlessly mashes the sweet, meaningful rhythm of R&B with the powerful flow of rap. “Mani/Pedi” is not an album to sleep on. While met with mixed reviews, the album has a mostly positive reaction. Most of the controversy of the album is with the R&B songs. Reviewers seem to feel like she came up short in this department, but was most successful in her creation of “Mani/Pedi.”

The album gets off to a strong start with the song “Perfect.” The song perfectly emulates the tone of Bad B*tch Energy (BBE) that an album should start on. The upbeat tone of the song instantly gives the listener a sense of confidence that only an artist like Baby Tate can give.

Tate’s album comes with a sound for the girls in their feelings with songs like “Do Better” which asks why you would return to someone who has never treated you right. The message is as clear as  “Do Better” which gives off more of an R&B feeling that Tate uses to convey her message.

Baby Tate goes wild with her lyrical genius in the song “Sl*t Him Out” ft. Kali, another female rapper to keep your eyes on. The song opens with a dystopian-sounding beat that leads to Tate’s non-stop verses. This song is probably the nastiest track on the album, and the addition of Kali’s rapping genius makes the song ten times better. 

These are just some of the songs that stand out at the beginning of the album. Baby Tate has a unique flow on this album, especially when it comes to the union of her singing with her rapping. “Karma” is the perfect example of this creative mash-up. The song feels like an ode to older R&B songs from the early 2000s. The mixture between the lyrics and the beat makes this song a definite download. She uses her singing as somewhat of an accent to the rest of her rapping. Another song that proves this point is  “Ain’t No Love” ft. 2 Chainz, which captures the audience within the first few seconds when they notice that the song is a sample of Ciara’s “Oh” ft. Ludacris. This song is a strong homage to the original. Tate begins to show off the flexibility of her vocal range in this song. 2 Chainz part does feel like somewhat of an afterthought, but it still works. 

Tate’s ability to get a crowd moving is apparent in songs like “Sl*t Him Out”, “Dancing Queen” “Perfect” and “Pedi.” All of these have the exceptional ability to make the listener feel like they are the baddest in the room. These songs are all comparable to a shot of espresso. The more you listen, the more you want to shake to the beat that Tate lays out for you. 

While not every song on “Mani/Pedi” is a complete hit with the critics, it seems to resonate with audiences more than not. The strong songs completely capture the audience in whatever mood Tate is trying to convey. The songs that aren’t as popular have some redeeming qualities. No matter what, none of the songs on this album are distinctly bad; they could have just used some more time to perfect them. The overall themes of “Mani/Pedi” are ones of feminine power, taking back what is yours and using it how you like. Additionally, the theme of finding someone who is going to be able to treat you the way you deserve to be treated or to treat yourself better. In the song “Do Better” Tate says “Girl, you better get yourself a rose.” 

Verdict: Baby Tate managed to outdo herself with the creation of this album. “Mani/Pedi” puts Tate’s talent on display, whether it be through her non-stop flow or her singing voice. This album is a masterclass in genre mixing. Overall even if someone doesn’t like a song they will find that the remaining 14 tracks make up for it.