One of the reasons Mannie Fresh’s work dried up is because he spoke out about Cash Money fucking him, which pretty much means he’s going up against Universal Records, right? It’s wise that he’s letting himself get balled up in the Internet mixtape game like this. And so, besides this being a T.I./Fresh collaboration, it hopefully marks Mannie entertaining how rap works in 2012 instead of gingerly grousing that it isn’t 2004 anymore.
On “The One,” T.I. luxuriates in the beat for a while, letting its laser car alarm synths and Big Tymer rumble ride out for awhile, psyching himself up by muttering half-syllables and gargling. When he does steps up, he’s the quiet, confident MC of Trap Muzik, not the meter-obsessed show-off on King. And by the time the hook arrives, well, it’s barely even clear that it’s a hook because it’s like it’s own little pissed-off verse. Rap’s always a game of right now and Tip’s done plenty to fuck up his hype, but Rick Ross strong-arming his way in with a pretty good mixtape, simply by being bigger, louder, and dumber, though not necessarily better, is a Newt Gingrich move. Rozay is gangsta rap’s A-student in that he does everything exactly right with little deviation and no emotion. F*ck Da City Up > Rich Forever.
Are You A Serious Comic Book Reader?