Okay. Bigthony Breathtano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. It's time for a review of this new CupcakKe album, Dauntless Manifesto.

Here we have a brand new record from Chicago rapper, songwriter, and singer, CupcakKe. It's been a while, or at least it feels like it has been. I know CupcakKe has continued to stay active in music since breaking around the mid-2010s. And when she first began to gain momentum off of projects like Audacious as well as Elizabitch, she was on a very prolific creative streak, dropping a lot of projects and mixtapes. But then her output began to peter out, especially around 2019, where she seemed to have an episode of very extreme emotional and mental stress that resulted in her getting on social media and essentially expressing a lot of regret and guilt over her music, how explicit a lot of it is. She said that she was planning on quitting music altogether.

And while she seemingly didn't do that, her output has slowed a little bit, which is why this brand new LP, the follow-up to her last album that came out back in 2018, is a surprise. Not only in that it exists at all, but the cover art goes hard as hell, and the production value on a lot of the songs is pretty good by CupcakKe standards.

She definitely did not phone it in on this record, and she seems to be returning to us with a lot of ambition and a lot of energy, a real hunger in her voice and in her writing, too, which, again, I'm glad, I'm happy about because for better or for worse, there is not another rap artist-like CupcakKe out there. She is special and stand out for a reason. I mean, her husky and authoritative voice and the aggression with which she delivers her flows definitely sets her apart to begin with. Then add to that her lyrical focus voice and wit, sense of humor.

I think when you look at the baseline of CupcakKe's abilities and talents, she should be in the conversation of general rappers out there, contemporary or not, that are mega talented. But unfortunately, she is often left out of these discussions, most likely due to the subject matter and nature of her songs much of the time. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, CupcakKe just so happens to be responsible for some of the most raunchy, filthy, outlandish, and sexual music that you will ever hear in your lifetime point blank period.

I am not messing around. I mean, it's the shit that makes Eminem and Sexyy Red songs sound like PG, really almost at Kidz Bop level. And even on this new record here, CupcakKe is not slowing down on the explicit energy. As we have tracks on this thing about getting railed so good, you're queefing. A track that's essentially CupcakKe framing herself as Dora the Explorer, but she's searching for that dick. Having a threesome with a guy and your girlfriend and teaming up on him in the most vile ways. There's tracks on here with lyrics about period sex, getting peed down your throat, anal sex, general sex appeal. It's a lot. It's a whole damn lot.

For sure, it's not to be for everyone. Sometimes, even as horny-brained as I am, I'm not even sure if it's fully for me. I don't say that because I think CupcakKe's music is pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable per se. It's really more of a matter of how much of this I can take in any given sitting, even though this record is just 44 minutes or so. It's not like she's really pushing the limits of how long an album like this should be.

But after a while, I do need a horny break, maybe watch some Mr. Rogers or take a cold shower. What's unfortunate is that there aren't that many moments throughout this record where CupcakKe is deviating from that script, and when she does, it just feels so profoundly out of place.

The track "Rock, Paper, Scissors", for example, I think I can appreciate in a vacuum as it's a very personal and moving cut all about existentialism, having an existential crisis, not being sure whether or not you want to live anymore, but simultaneously having a friend there to convince you out of it, which, yes, meaningful, yes, profound, and yes, valid, but the sandwich in between tracks about orgasms and queefing, it's a lot.

Look, I will admit it is admirable that CupcakKe goes in on these topics like no other artist would or could. But there is also an element of shock value to her music that I think does wear off after a little while, as there are so many tracks tracks on this record that scratch similarly taboo itches that are a bit risque. Plus, I know CupcakKe is not an artist who's desperate to be seen as somebody who is taking themselves too seriously or anything like that.

But there are some moments where I just feel like I'm listening to a borderline comedy album, and I don't think it's intending to be that. All of that malformed vibe nitpicking aside, though, there are some tracks on this thing that, to my ears, lyrically and instrumentally, just go so damn hard, you can't deny them, regardless of how filthy and outlandish they are. I'm talking about cuts like "DUI", "Dora", the opening song, "Aura", "Nun Nun", as well as "Little Red Riding Good". That song, most definitely will change your life. But these tracks are really the moments where I feel like CupcakKe is playing to her strengths, doing what works best for her.

Meanwhile, the softer cuts, the songs that see her going for more pop-centric vibe. Those consistently come across a little bit awkward. Plus, again, there are those moments like "Backstage Passes" where, yeah, some of the lyrical descriptions of what's going on there, I feel my stomach churning, which I'm ashamed to say. I'm just really not freaky enough for this album, even if I am genuinely in awe of many parts of it.

I do appreciate the commentary that CupcakKe makes on racism and racial politics in America in general on the closing track "Cruella". The horn section samples on that cut are fantastic, and I like how boldly she goes into this topic with as much care as she would anything else.

Look, there are some artists that will barely even touch this rail these days, and she does it without even a second thought. I mean, given how many years it's been since she released her last project, this could have easily been in the vault, but everything she's saying on it still very much resonates and is important to say.

I guess final general complaint or issue with the album is that sometimes I don't really feel like the production quite lines up with CupcakKe's unique vibe and personality. This is something I have brought up and noted before in previous reviews, as I do feel like a lot of the beats she tends to choose come across as just a wee bit generic. I don't really know if that's something that's ever going to change about CupcakKe's music per se. For some, it may not even matter because her voice and her lyrical style is so unique. Really, any beat she raps on top of instantly becomes a CupcakKe beat. Still, though, with that being said, this project is generally good, but still a bit of a mixed bag for me.

It is entertaining, it is out there, it is wild, and will test the boundaries of your horny, seriously and truly. I think I am just going to leave it there for now.

I'm feeling a strong 6 to a light 7 on this record.

Anthony Fantano. CupcakKe. Forever.