Before he turned 18, Memphis rapper NLE Choppa had taken his high-pressure rhymes and signature "shotta flow" to the top of the charts, with 2020 debut studio album Top Shotta landing in the Billboard Top Ten. Guns, violence, and street life were constant themes in Choppa's music, but mixtape From Dark to Light takes an unexpected turn towards positivity and enlightenment. On a brief intro track, he explains that From Dark to Light is an exploration of spiritual changes in his life, made up of some songs recorded before this spiritual shift and others recorded weeks before the album's release. While NLE Choppa's rhyme skills are consistent, the lyrical contrast is stark. "Bryson" serves as something of a mission statement for his mystical awakening, referencing meditation, adapting to a vegan diet, visions of political prophecies, and self-love. This is a significant change from the aggressive tone of earlier material, but songs like "Body Catchers" and "Taliban" keep to the gunplay, crime stories, and confrontation. "Picture Me Grapin'" reworks the beat from 2Pac's All Eyez on Me classic "Picture Me Rollin'," adding some old-school bounce to the project. Where Top Shotta found NLE Choppa exploring a wide variety of approaches and deliveries, From Dark to Light is defined by his internal exploration. The zigzagging from tracks about daily affirmations to songs about snuffing out enemies with deadly force makes for a somewhat disorienting listening experience, but NLE Choppa navigates his conflicting messages with poise. Approaching themes of spirituality and alternative healing on a rap mixtape takes a certain level of fearlessness, and NLE Choppa commits completely, using his talents on the mic to evenly communicate his transition from worldly confusion to inner peace. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi

1		Intro
2		Bryson
3		Picture Me Grapin'
4		Moonlight (feat. Big Sean)
5		Taliban
6		Twin Flame
7		Body Catchers
8		Hear Me (feat. Ink)
9		Man Down
10		100 Grapes
11		Love Tonight
12		Done
13		Paradise

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