Produced entirely by Ariano alone, the sound on F*** You, I Love You, Pay Me vacillates between pounding, bass-heavy tracks to stripped down joints, interlaced with subtle electronic influences or the purity of acoustic guitars, delicate violins and pianos. Sometimes the production is clean, sometimes it’s hard and dirty, mirroring the smoothness or growl of Ariano’s raps and vocals throughout the album. But the one thing that ties it all together is the rawness of the sound. It’s real, it’s stripped down, and it’s right on time.
F*** You, I Love You, Pay Me is Ariano in his prime, not only as an artist but as a producer and engineer.