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Spin: Rick Ross vs. Squadda B, Street Rap at the Breaking Point

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Why Squadda B’s street concept mixtape Back $elling Crack is better than Rick Ross’ Rich Foreverr and just as much big dumb fun. Post-script is a defense of Jay-Z’s “Glory.”

Two new mixtapes, Rick Ross’ Rich Forever, and Squadda B’s Back $elling Crack recently hit the Internet — the former ostentatious and fantastical (still defined by 2010 mega-hit “B.M.F.”), the latter aggressively smooth and confessional (think: “cloud rap”). And they very pointedly pull street rap in dramatically different directions. A stop-gap release between last year’s Teflon Don and the upcoming God Forgives, I Don’t, Rich Forever finds Ross typically referencing guns, drugs, and snitches. Though, in a fascinating postmodern turn, his drug-lord persona also takes a backseat, as he mostly talks about the money he’s now earning that’s he’s a famous rapper. The beats are glorious and shiny, but there’s a tedium to Ross’ bellowing style — like a steroidal version of Young Jeezy, who was already a steroidal version of Cam’ron and Clipse, which is actually the ideal image for this engorged, hustling kingpin and his new mixtape: Roided-out twice over…

Written by Brandon

January 13th, 2012 at 7:41 pm

Posted in Spin, Spin column

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