Monday 20 August 2012

2 Chainz - Based On A T.R.U Story


It has been a good year for 2 Chainz. Musically active since the mid 90's, his previous 'Tity Boi' stage name proved to be a hindrance as his Playaz Circle group attained middling success through the early 2000's. A quick change of moniker and Tauheed Epps has suddenly become one of the most prolific featured artists of 2012. Mixtape acclaim has been followed by feverish anticipation for his debut solo album. It's all going so well that, if his frequent boasts are to be believed, Chainz is now charging $100,000 for each guest verse. With the backing of veteran label Def Jam, fans are now able to see for themselves whether Based On A T.R.U Story is able to maintain his stratospheric rise to the top.

Things do not get off to a great start. Album opener 'Yuck' is patchy, with an unpleasant, entirely unnecessary chorus from Lil Wayne. Thankfully, following efforts 'Crack' and 'Dope Peddler' find the Georgia resident in comfortingly familiar territory. The simplistic, bouncy rhyme schemes that have brought Chainz such success are present and correct, with bombastic production from Southside and Bangladesh respectively. 'Money Machine' and 'Wut We Doin' follow the same pattern, not exactly reinventing the wheel but sure to delight fans looking thumping, raucous beats.

Lead single 'No Lie' is next up. The Drake assisted track is well chosen, becoming easily the strongest cut on the project. It is important to note that the song belongs entirely to Drake, bringing the energy and charisma that has been sorely lacking since his mixtape days. 2 Chainz effectively becomes a featured artist on his own song, but it is no less enjoyable because of it. A second high profile guest follows immediately after, Kanye West handling production duties on 'Birthday Song' while also dropping by to spit a verse. The track is fun, if a little repetitive, the two artists failing to recreate the chemistry found on recent collaborations such as 'Mercy'. The slinky 'I'm Different' is perhaps the most ironically titled song in hip hop history, but has catchy, subversive piano keys for the MC to push forward his shit talking agenda.

To his credit, Chainz does risk breaking from the formula that has reaped so many rewards. 'Extremely Blessed' featuring The Dream is a nice change of pace, though including R&B tracks catering for females seems slightly absurd for an album that constantly extols the virtues of strippers and hoes. 'In Town' is similarly relaxing, but the Chris Brown featured 'Countdown' becomes a little turgid.

'I Luve Dem Strippers' is by far the poorest offering on the LP. Derivative to the point of inertia, the repetitive, misogynistic content is hardly enlightened by an irritating verse from Nicki Minaj. Though a more serious approach can be found on 'Ghetto Dreams', there are still some severe limitations on show.  The track is predominantly an examination of the problems facing the poor neighborhoods the rapper grew up in, but he simply cannot resist throwing in some trite rhymes:
"Used to dream about a bigger couch, woke up in a bigger house/ Commas in my bank account/ So much money, I had to let the banker count."
The refusal to take the subject seriously comes off poorly when compared to an earnest Scarface guest spot. The track demonstrates how, by pushing himself out of his comfort zone, Chainz often comes up short.

Track By Track:

01. Yuck! (feat. Lil Wayne) (6/10)
02. Crack (7/10)
03. Dope Peddler (7/10)
04. No Lie (feat. Drake) (8/10)
05. Birthday Song (feat. Kanye West) (7/10)
06. I’m Different (8/10)
07. Extremely Blessed (feat. The-Dream) (7/10)
08. I Luv Dem Strippers (feat. Nicki Minaj) (4/10)
09. Stop Me Now (feat. Dolla Boy) (610)
10. Money Machine (7/10)
11. In Town (feat. Mike Posner) (6/10)
12. Ghetto Dreams (feat. Scarface & John Legend) (6/10)
13. Wut We Doin? (feat. Cap1) (7/10)
14. Countdown (feat. Chris Brown) (5/10)

The Verdict:
2 Chainz isn't going to win any new fans with Based on a T.R.U Story. This is not necessarily a bad thing, the former Playaz Circle member providing a fun, trunk rattling album for the late summer. Though he has charisma in abundance, his limitations as an MC come to the fore a little too often for his solo debut album to be recommended to those who are yet to be convinced.
7/10



Wednesday 1 August 2012

Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't


There are few more polarising figures in the world of hip hop than Rick Ross. Some see him as a fraudulent, pathological liar occupying a false position at the head of the hip hop table while others admire his quality output, unafraid to praise the self proclaimed 'Bawse' of the rap world. Whichever opinion the listener possesses, it is clear that God Forgives, I Don't is one of the most anticipated rap releases of the year. Delayed from the intended December release date, Ross has kept his fans waiting. Instead, his Maybach Music Group label has released several well received projects, both solo and compilation based. Now it is finally time for the label head to step out on his own, ready to further capitalise on an already successful year.

Opener 'Pirates' finds Rick Ross in subdued, relaxed mode. The topics are the same; drugs, money and women, but the execution is different to previous releases. Rather than the bombastic production favoured in the MMG umbrella releases, Ross chooses to soothe the listener as he waxes lyrical about his luxurious lifestyle. The technique places the Miami native firmly in the tradition of the Mafioso sub genre of rap, a rebuttal to the familiar criticism that Ross profits from the fantasy life imagined in his rhymes. Rozay is showing the listener that he is fully aware he is not what he says he is, rather he is a performer and entertainer first and foremost.
This theme is explored further in the conciliatory 'Ashamed', Cool and Dre providing a soulful backdrop for the MC to explain why he took to selling drugs:
"I needed some change, Momma needed a raise/ She stayed in a rage, hated minimum wage/ I'm feeling the same, all these criminals paid/ Wearing Bally's and gold, I'm selling dope shameless to say."
A critical listener may point out that a rapper that has based an entire career on glorifying drug dealing is coming in a little late apologising on his fifth album, but it is clear from the outset that God Forgives, I Don't is the account of Rick Ross the MC and entertainer, not William Roberts the man. The latest entry in the 'Maybach Music' series of track included on every studio album since Trilla is similarly a triumph, stripping the guest spots and leaving a soulful Neyo hook to lull the listener over signature J.U.S.T.I.C.E League instrumental.

Less successful, however, is the bloated, star studded '3 Kings'. Featuring a Dr Dre verse but not his production proves to be a mistake as the legendary beat maker struggles through his Jay Z ghost written rhymes. Hova himself makes an appearance, sleep walking through his bars and going back on his promise to no longer use the word 'bitch' in his songs. The album picks up on the Andre 3000 featured 'Sixteen'. Lamenting the fact 16 bars is sometimes not enough to express an idea adequately, Ross designates a full 8 minutes to explore his notion. 3000 continues his recent trend of scene stealing guest appearances with a simply astonishing virtuoso demonstration of free association rhyming.

If there is one thing about Rick Ross that is impossible to deny, it is his consistency. The Floridian reverts to type in the middle section of his album, returning to the thumping, trunk rattling beats that characterise the Dirty South. 'Hold Me Back' is catchy, if a little repetitive, while '911' is too lengthy for its threadbare subject matter. 'So Sophisticated', however, places Ross firmly in his comfort zone. Enlisting MMG stalwart Meek Mill, the track is a perfect example of why the group currently occupies such a lofty position in mainstream rap.
The LP soon moves into R&B territory, with mixed results. 'Ice Cold' is lifted above the ordinary by an impassioned hook from a rejuvenated Omarion, but the Usher assisted 'Touch 'N You' is a disaster from start to finish. Uninspired production fails to mask a lamentable chorus, in which the legendary R&B crooner is reduced to whispering "fucking you, fucking you" over and over. Firmly between the two in terms of quality is the curious 'Diced Pineapples'. Wale treats the listener to a spot of spoken word poetry about oral sex before the song begins proper. The track makes utilises the often neglected singing voice of Drake to good effect, but it is hard to find a use for the song outside of the bedroom.

Track by Track:

1. Pray For Us (Intro) 
2. Pirates 7/10
3. 3 Kings feat. Dr. Dre & Jay-Z 6/10
4. Ashamed 7/10
5. Maybach Music IV feat. Ne-Yo 8/10
6. Sixteen feat. André 3000 8/10
7. Amsterdam 6/10
8. Hold Me Back 7/10
9. 911 5/10
10. So Sophisticated feat. Meek Mill 8/10
11. Presidential feat. Elijah Blake 7/10
12. Ice Cold feat. Omarion 8/10
13. Touch ‘N You feat. Usher 4/10
14. Diced Pineapples feat. Wale & Drake 6/10
15. Ten Jesus Pieces feat. Stalley 6/10


The Verdict:

By delving deeper into the mafioso sub genre, Rick Ross has produced arguably the most solid album of his career. Tentative experimentation generally comes off well, without forgetting the foundations that have made him one of the most consistent and popular rappers in the game. Despite the negative opinions that typically colour discussions of his work, the music itself continues to defy his critics. 

7/10