Even though he’s brokering multi-million dollar deals and selling out world concerts, the Shawn Carter you see today is essentially the same Shawn Carter we first met 15+ years ago when Jay-Z unleashed the classic debut CD Reasonable Doubt on the world. The Jay-Z today is still hungry and still focused. And though he’s got R&B queen Beyonce on one shoulder and a diaper bag on the other now, he’s still aiming to be the best MC we’ve ever seen… Get the full story on Hove at ReDigi.
We’re all vexed about Roscoe Dash. Is he a new artist or an old one? XXL had him on its “Freshman Class” cover in March, even though the young man had a project released in 2010. Is he a party rapper or a poet? His hit single, “All the Way Turnt Up,” was a straight jingle, but on this collabo with longtime homie Hoven X, Roscoe dares to flex the occasional lyrical muscle. Maybe it’s all a part of Team Dash’s wacky marketing. Maybe the young man simply isn’t sure of his course.
This mix wants to be some loud declaration that the 21-year-old Atlantan has officially arrived. Gonna take a lot more than 29 songs about broads and bank accounts to prove that. Signs of some skills are evident on a smooth “Run This Town” cover. The other decent spots work more because of borrowed Drake beats (“Karaoke”) or bangin’ Hoven bars (“Whistle”). Sadly, recycled tracks and rudimentary topics elsewhere do nothing to peg Roscoe Dash as nothing more than another rapper looking for his way. (C-)
Waking With Words 