For some fans, the journey to Poncho Loco’s “*Freeswaglikedis*” seemed to be developing at a laggard pace. It had been almost a year since the original four-song EP dropped. While Poncho was posting snippets of what was going down in the studio on his Snapchat and Instagram stories, there was still nothing tangible to hold onto. When a year had passed and their tentative release date was ignored, the conversation started: Where is “*Freeswaglikedis*”?

Lucky for fans, they did not have to wait too long to hear Poncho’s first official album. Only days into 2019, they were greeted with “*Freeswaglikedis*” the LP, which features seven tracks, six songs and one interlude. Before dissecting this project, it is important to note the distinctions between the EP and LP of the same titles.

Yes, there is an original “*Freeswaglikedis*.” Poncho Loco was using the alias Rico at the time, and this was his first major project. The EP featured “FreeSwag Meaning,” “Dry Ass Braids,” “Billy Fuccillo” and “FreeSwag (Feat. Jalen Jenkins).” Loco’s manager, Jake Wildrick, aka Young Coupe, shot and edited both the “Dry Ass Braids” and “Billy Fuccillo” music videos and was a major reason for the EP’s success. Not only did Poncho create dynamic and unique bangers, but he also had the visuals to match his style. Sadly, the EP has been removed from all major streaming services. “FreeSwag,” arguably his best song made under the username “Ricolns,” can only be found on Soundcloud, along with some early gems from the young Syracusian rapper and his associates.

His early, explorative work and the EP are what led to Poncho Loco’s LP, almost as if he actually spent the time to fine tune his skills, sound and style for a project he believed was genuinely worth it. It is boisterous, braggadocious, in your face and entirely original.

Poncho sets the scene of his life in the first song titled “Poncho 22.” The clothes, money, jewelry, women and drugs are all on full display while he actually addresses some things about himself, such as the fact that he is not referred to as Rico anymore. He addresses what he believes it means to be loyal and his humble beginnings, citing he “remembers cooking noodles in a dirty-a** kitchen.” He also mentions that he has lost people close to him because of the world he and a lot of others face every day. On the surface, one might only hear the lyrics about women and everybody’s jealousy of his swag, but there is more to Poncho than that.

The second track, “Spend It,” features Trigg the Ruler. Poncho and Trigg bounce well off each other, and this song offers a catchy hook, emphasizing themes of grinding and making money only to spend it on themselves. It is essentially a “work hard, play hard” song that focuses more on the “play hard” aspect.

“Off 2 10s” is a true head-banger. “Poncho 22” and “Spend It” act as an appropriate warm-up to what Poncho is capable of producing. The opening bars pull the listener into Poncho’s world of performing and hooking up. The production here is crisp, and the rhythm of Poncho’s flow weaves in and out. All the songs on this album are less than three minutes long, this one barely two, but it is definitely one that could have been longer just because it is of such high quality.

That can be said for this album in general, though. It is only 14 minutes total, including the interlude, and it feels like it could have been a song or two longer. The EP was four songs, and the LP is only six. It is not much of a difference, and “Paranoia” makes the listener wonder what Poncho is not including in the album.

This is a slower, more somber reflection of himself. It is oddly reminiscent of Biggie Smalls’ “Suicidal Thoughts” simply in the way they address their real-life concerns about their respective corners of the criminal landscape. Poncho struggles to comprehend the deaths of his friends and the disloyalty of some while moving forward in his own life.

“Hoelotta” featuring Jalen Jenkins is another song that deserves to be labelled as a banger. Their chemistry together gels so well and creates a sound that is almost cosmic. Jalen is reminiscent of Kid Cudi in the way he can transition from rapping to singing and create a dope sound using either. This and “FreeSwag” alone make listeners want to hear a “Watch The Throne” style album featuring the duo. Poncho has cited that Jalen is a major reason for him to start taking music more seriously, and their collaborations are no joke. They have found a niche together and should not be wasted.

“Buy It” closes out the album. It parallels “Spend It” in terms of themes, but this time, it is Poncho on his own, doing his thing. It is hard to say definitively, but they may have saved the best for last. Doran Beats provides Poncho with a psychedelic beat that Poncho kills. Between the hook and lyrics themselves, Poncho knows how to craft catchy party songs with hidden declarations about his views on society, law enforcement and more. “*Freeswaglikedis*” is available to stream on Freeswagmusic.com, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon.

Image from RicoLNS via Instagram