SremmLife 2

Rae Sremmurd's second album, SremmLife 2, hit shelves on August 12, 2016, via Ear Drummer Records and Interscope Records. The duo of Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi had a tough act to follow after their 2015 debut, but they came through with a project that mixes bouncy, minimalist trap beats with their signature playful ad-libs and catchy hooks. While the carefree party energy remains, there's a noticeable shift toward introspection on tracks like "By Chance" and "Take It Or Leave It." Mike WiLL Made-It handled most of the production, with assists from DJ Dahi and Boi-1da, keeping the sound cohesive yet varied.

The standard edition packs 15 tracks, with guest appearances from Kodak Black, Gucci Mane, Juicy J, Lil Jon, and Bobo Swae. The album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, then climbed to number four, fueled by the massive success of "Black Beatles," which became a viral sensation and topped the Hot 100. Critics were mostly positive, with Pitchfork praising the duo's chemistry and energy, though some noted that the latter half of the album had filler moments. Still, the project earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song for "Black Beatles" and went on to achieve double platinum status in the US. [edit]