U Made Me a St4r is the debut mixtape[1][2] by American R&B singer 4Batz. It was released on May 3, 2024, by Gamma, and received a mixed response from critics.
Release
U Made Me a St4r was released on May 3, 2024, by Gamma.[3][4] The mixtape was originally set for release on April 5, but was delayed the day before.[5] It was also going to be released by OVO Sound[5] after 4Batz signed a one-EP deal with the label in March.[6] The mixtape's name is in reference to 4Batz's ex-partner Jada, whose relationship makes up the subject matter of the entire project.[7]
Style
Billboard's Angel Diaz compared the mixtape's sound to R&B from the 1990s such as Jodeci which blended in an influence of hip hop.[8]
The mixtape received a mixed response from critics. AllMusic's review said that "4batz already experienced more attention and interest in the lead-up to U Made Me a St4r than most artists will in their entire careers, but regardless of the buzz and celebrity endorsements surrounding him, his music at this point is lifeless and without much personality."[2]Rap Reviews's Steve "Flash" Juon called the mixtape "an interesting debut", but criticized parts including the pitched up and pitch corrected vocals and Kanye West's feature on the remix of "On God (She Like)", the second version of the song included on the tape.[9]HotNewHipHop's Teejay Small noted 4Batz taking on subject matter he was noticeably too young and inexperienced to handle properly, including the "painfully awkward sex ballad" "Act IV: Fckin U (18+)" and "domestic violence anthem" "Act V: There Goes Another Vase".[10]Rolling Stone's Jeff Ihaza said there was "no reason for [the mixtape] to exist" and that "'undercooked' doesn't even begin to describe" it.[11]
More positively, both Billboard and Complex included the mixtape in their lists of the best albums of the first half of 2024.[8][7]Complex's Jordan Rose wrote that 4Batz "still has room to grow", but that the mixtape "is compelling enough to make you want to keep reading."[7]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Neko Bennett with others noted.
