Year of the Savage cover

Year of the Savage

Robb Banks · 2015

41 min · 12 tracks · hip-hop

A gritty exploration of urban life, filled with atmospheric beats and introspective lyrics that evoke a sense of vulnerability and bravado.

Top tracks — play these first

  • →
    Buku — This track features a haunting melody paired with reflective lyrics about personal struggles, establishing Banks' emotional depth early in the album.
  • →
    Leatherface — With its aggressive delivery and dark production, this track highlights Banks' ability to balance vulnerability with raw intensity, making it a standout moment.
  • →
    Phone Sex — This song combines playful lyricism with an infectious beat, showcasing Banks' versatility and hinting at the complexities of modern relationships.
  • →
    2Phoneshawty — The track embodies the album's overall theme of duality in identity and lifestyle, illustrating Banks' narrative style through clever wordplay.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

52 /100
Foothills
Higher than 38% of albums we've rated

The album showcases strong production and lyrical depth but lacks some cohesion in its flow.

What we noticed

  • The album opens with a brief outro that sets a moody tone, followed by tracks that maintain a consistent mid-tempo pace.
  • Several tracks feature layered vocal deliveries, blending melodic hooks with aggressive verses, creating a dynamic contrast.
  • The production employs atmospheric beats with heavy bass and sparse instrumentation, allowing the lyrics to take center stage.
Composition 25% of the score
6/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
7/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
5/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • gritty urban storytelling vibes
  • introspective moments of vulnerability
  • short tracks for quick engagement
  • late-night city drive energy
  • atmospheric beats for reflection

Maybe skip if you

  • seeking upbeat party anthems
  • prefer lengthy immersive experiences

Where this album fits

Career context
Year of the Savage is Robb Banks' debut studio album, released after a series of successful mixtapes that established him within the underground hip-hop scene. By 2015, he was gaining traction as a prominent figure in the emerging SoundCloud rap movement, showcasing his unique blend of Southern hip-hop and alternative influences.
Stylistic neighbors
Night Lovell· Xavier Wulf· Bones

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Outro 0:59
  • 2 Buku 3:07
  • 3 Leatherface 4:04
  • 4 Half Bae 2:51
  • 5 Wit 3:05
  • 6 Chainswang 2:46
  • 7 Pressure 3:32
  • 8 Phone Sex 3:33
  • 9 Pink Pu**y 4:12
  • 10 F***umean 3:21
  • 11 2Phoneshawty 5:12
  • 12 3D 4:13

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata