Pain Made Me Numb

Editors’ Notes When “Oouuh” first dropped, this Baton Rouge rapper seemed well positioned to ride the sung-rap wave like so many others at the time. With his Def Jam debut, Fredo Bang reinforces his knack for both sides of that contemporary equation. He makes effortless R&B moves over the piano keys and warm pads of the sexually charged “Nobody” and the booming bass of the Instagram lament “Still Love You.” Conversely, he traffics in credible tough talk on “Cap a Lot” and “Dracs Out,” fully embracing an outsized trap vibe on “Grams House.” Star producer Tay Keith gives Fredo plenty of heat to flex over with the beats for “Face Down” and “Poppin.”