On March 6, rapper Nettspend released his debut album “Early Life Crisis.” The album consists of 21 tracks with a runtime of 48 minutes.
The album debuted at #39 on Billboard 200, selling 20.7k units in its first week. It also has features from rappers Osamason and NBA Youngboy.
Gunner Shepardson, professionally known as Nettspend, is a rapper from Richmond, VA. He has been making music since 2022 and rose to prominence in 2023 with the song “drankdrankdrank” going viral on Twitter.
He went on to release his debut mixtape “kickdoor” on May 26, 2023, following this up with his first commercial mixtape “BAFK” on Dec. 6, 2024 and the EP “gone too soon” on Aug. 22, 2025.
While Nettspend’s music hasn’t always sounded the same, it can generally be described as trap/rage, with layered vocals and bass accompanied by distorted 808s, glimmering synths, and loose piano riffs. The content of the artist’s music has evolved as well.
With “Early Life Crisis,” there is definitely a noticeable difference in terms of production. As we see him dive further into the rage genre handled by producers such as CXO, Rok, and Gyro, while incorporating intense vocals, melodics, off-centered flows, and intense distorted production.
This is especially true with tracks such as “ce,” “pain talk,” and “still standing.” However, Nettspend doesn’t strictly delve into rage with every single track, as seen with the intro track “You Ready?” as well as “crack,” and “Paris Hilton.” These tracks were really good, as Nettspend “floats” and “glides” on the beats of these tracks to make a melodic and fun experience.
Despite the “general emptiness” you might expect from a rapper such as Nettspend, “Early Life Crisis” has quite a lot to talk about, such as reflecting the experiences of a generation pushed into adulthood at an accelerated pace, expressing the pressures and anxieties of a resilient youth culture navigating a challenging and often unforgiving world, shown on songs such as “trap house 2016” with Nettspend rapping “Old enough to pay your rent, not old enough to buy no gin.”
This is not only seen with the music itself, but also the music videos for songs such as “who tf is u,” which show Nettspend and a group of other people smashing mailboxes, setting off fireworks, and causing chaos, portraying Nettspend as just a teenager despite his status.
The visuals for each of the songs on YouTube without music videos also contribute to this theme, showing videos of a young child opening a Christmas present, trying to express the idea of being a kid propelled into things typically faced in adulthood too quickly. The album cover itself conveys this as well, showing Nettspend as a young kid.
Nettspend’s “early life crisis” is an interesting project, as it shows how the rapper is trying to manage being a pop culture figure while being barely 19. While it might not be for everyone, it’s clear that Nettspend is well aware that he wants you to notice the pressures of modern culture and the anxieties of a generation. On a scale of one to 10, this gets a seven.
