HENNI ANTOINE ! "GROWING PAINS" ALBUM REVIEW

Growing Pains is a nine-track LP by Minneapolis hip-hop artist henni antoine ! The project incorporates a variety of different productions and features Bailey Daniel, Hollywood Riq-O, Jaylap, Stephaintdeadyet!, and 00hiem. henni’s polished and catchy melodies make for an enjoyable listening experience that you can’t help but nod your head to.
With a run time of twenty-three minutes, Growing Pains packs a big punch in a brief amount of time, proving that big things do come in small packages. There is also a deluxe version of the album with seven extra B-sides that I highly recommend checking out. For the sake of brevity, this review will only cover the original version.
“0700” starts the album off with a smooth and mellow beginning, easing you into the project with an old-school soulful feel as henni’s lyrics paint a picture of the sun rising to a perfect morning. henni describes how the beginning of the day can serve as a peaceful and serene time before starting a potentially hectic day and after sleeping off a night of partying. One of my favorite lines from the song is:

“The way I’m living, really think I got it upside down,
They say it’s easier to smile but still I’m wearing a frown,
That’s a hard pill to swallow when you’re stuck in the sound,
and there’s no way out, but I’m ok with it.”

Following “0700” is “brain damage.” The beat’s powerful drums serve as an interesting accompaniment to the chill, lo-fi guitar, and vocal loops. In this song, henni airs out grievances, speaking about his battles with anxiety, feeling stuck in a rut, and not knowing what to do about it or who to talk to about these feelings. Not knowing how to face these issues, he distracts himself by living a reckless lifestyle. Bailey Daniel, the first guest appearance of the album, discusses similar experiences with the subject matter and offers a nice complementary addition to the song with his verse.
“self promises” dives deeper into henni’s soul as he reflects on all the promises he’s made to himself and the goals he wants to achieve. henni realizes the difficulty of achieving said goals—it’s like trying to envision something you can’t physically see—but reminds himself he’s in control of his destiny and his life will be what he makes it.

“FLAWLESS !”, featuring Hollywood Riq-O, switches the vibe up to a more high-energy feel. Both Hollywood Riq-O and henni’s verses are highly melodic and flawlessly match the intense 808’s and digital ambiance within the instrumental. Riq-O’s performance felt like shades of Andre 3000, matching a similar vocal tone and melodic ideas.
With that same energy comes “DEMONS.” In this song, henni addresses his negative habits and inner conflicts, but in that same light, is accepting his flaws and declaring that he won’t let them hold him back. This song feels like it serves as a warning sign for henni, to remind himself to be careful and not give in to his demons to the point of no return. Jaylap and Stephaintdeadyet! make features on this track as well, describing the demons they battle in their lives.
The album begins to return to a more mellow aesthetic with “static.” The beat features interesting back-masking loops and electronic synths, along with some pounding kicks and snares. henni’s lyrics dive into feelings of stagnancy, no matter how much he tries to get things into motion.
The next track, “reality check,” is a trippy interlude that features an audio clip from what sounds like the reverend Jim Jones (hopefully I’m wrong) speaking on the meaning of belief: that your ideas have to make a juxtaposition with reality so that what you believe to be true is tested and proven to be true inside of reality.
“REALIZE !”, my favorite song, follows next and serves as the climax of the journey. The instrumentation returns to the vintage and soulful feel and ambient vocal loops that the album began with, coming full circle, this time with a higher understanding of self-realization. henni feels rejuvenated on this track, with a greater sense of ambition and determination to be what his mind’s eye has envisioned him to be. Florida rapper, 00Hiem, makes the final feature of the album and delivers a stellar freestyle performance.
In the final song, “goodbye !”, henni bids the listener farewell. “goodbye!” also symbolizes the change henni has experienced within after dealing with the growing pains of life. The gospel-like, Kanye West type beat perfectly compliments the substance of his lyrics and serves as a great outro for the project as a whole. A phrase that stuck out from the rest was:

“I took the mask off with a smile that I was puttin’ on,
I told myself that it was time to lift through my facade,
For several years I was content with this malicious mirage,
of all for one, but now it’s time we eat, it’s one for all.”
Growing Pains takes you on a personal journey into the trials and tribulations of henni’s transition from youth to adulthood. Like any good story, the project features a protagonist who has faced a conflict and experienced personal growth. henni’s smooth-sounding melodic vocals serve as a constant throughout the entire project and make it incredibly easy to groove to. I highly recommend you give henni antoine ! and Growing Pains a listen!

Check out the full interview we did with henni antoice ! on the Melodic Noise Patreon.

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Review and interview by: Logan Michael Sawatzke, Writer @imLoganMichaels
Edited by: Eric Martin, Writer/Assistant Editor @eamartin95