Rich Boy Reviewed
Rich Boy
Rich Boy
(Zone 4/Interscope)
Mobile, Alabama’s Rich Boy (born Marece Richards) drops a great party debut, even if it lacks a great deal of substance.
While he has some big-name guest supporters (David Banner, Pastor Troy, John Legend, and OutKast’s Big Boi and Andre 3000 . . . on separate tracks), Rich Boy’s greatest asset is his versatility under his producers, including himself. Aqua’s sample of Grover Washington’s “Loran’s Dance” on “Lost Girls” puts the MC in Kanye West, talk mode, and the G.O.O.D. Music connection continues with a John Legend cameo on “Ghetto Rich,” turing the elastic rapper into Common consciousness. “Throw Some D’s” — in two versions — reaches over to Houston for its easy ride, and then over to Hotlanta crunk for “What It Do.” While not quite a guest on his album, RB’s failure to standout proves beneficial when he stays out the way of the bangin’ “Hustla Ball” and the Latin tones of “Get To Poppin'” and “On The Regular.” There are better rappers stuck on the blocks with wack beats, and much worse ones riding Timbaland and Pharrell to the apex — Rich Boy might not be rolling in it yet, but he sounds very comfortable here.
— Steve Forstneger
