As Metro Boomin became trap’s workhorse, Mike WiLL Made-It, so named by Gucci Mane in the thick of his prolific mixtape run, has expanded his repertoire with radical pivots—zany psychedelic trips and chic pop promenades. Since announcing himself on Meek Mill’s chest-beating fame-measurer “Tupac Back,” he has produced everything from spacey trap ballads (Future’s “Turn On the Lights”), to strip club anthems (“Bandz a Make Her Dance”), sensual R&B massagers (Ciara’s “Body Party”), pop bangers (Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop”), diva tributes (Beyoncé’s “Formation”), and even ad fodder, on his way to becoming one of rap’s most versatile soundmen. When WiLL shared instrumentals from his 2016 discography, it was a dizzying flex, a colorful mosaic of pop-trap stems that omitted key moments by mistake. There are so many jams he forgets some. In the middle, he scored his first-ever Hot 100 chart-topper by producing the viral sensation “Black Beatles” for Rae Sremmurd, the flagship act of his EarDrummers imprint. The victory seemed to affirm his vision: not only had thinking outside the rap box paid big dividends, it’d done so for artists he’d nurtured, who’d been all but denounced by old-fangled rap gatekeepers. The next logical step is a compilation projecting these accumulated successes. Ransom 2, WiLL’s debut album and sequel to a 2014 mixtape, is equal parts cash grab, roster exhibition, and résumé bulletin. But because it’s a Mike WiLL creation, it can’t help but thrill.
Ransom 2 isn’t remarkably different than its predecessor; in fact, 13 guests return from the first outing. The bigger names showcase a quick flip through Mike WiLL’s contact list: Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Migos, YG, and more. The other faces are part of an EarDrummers promotion: Rae Sremmurd, Eearz, Andrea, Fortune and producers Pluss, Resource, and Marz. Though many are repeat visitors, the album narrowly dodges feeling like a remake and there aren’t any obvious fluctuations in quality. It’s marked by plenty of Mike WiLL’s signature boggy drums, which hit with a slosh as opposed to a thud. Atop a choice range of his finest productions, the hitmakers of today and tomorrow collide.
| 1 | –Mike WiLL Made It | On The Come Up | 3:56 |
| 2 | –Mike WiLL Made It | W Y O (What You On) | 4:22 |
| 3 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Hasselhoff | 2:10 |
| 4 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Gucci On My | 4:35 |
| 5 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Oh Hi Hater (Hiatus) | 3:06 |
| 6 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Perfect Pint | 4:01 |
| 7 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Razzle Dazzle | 3:36 |
| 8 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Bars Of Soap | 4:20 |
| 9 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Burnin | 2:14 |
| 10 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Y'all Ain't Ready | 3:43 |
| 11 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Arie (YuGo) | 4:32 |
| 12 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Emotions Unlocked | 4:00 |
| 13 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Big God | 4:12 |
| 14 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Faith | 4:45 |
| 15 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Come Down | 3:39 |
| 16 | –Mike WiLL Made It | Outro | 0:28 |
| 17 | –Mike WiLL Made It, Rihanna | Nothing Is Promised | 2:51 |
