Royce da 5'9"
Success Is Certain
4.5/5
I got to be honest. I was starting to feel guilty. There weren't a lot of hip-hop and R&B albums that I reviewed I liked since I started doing this review thing.
Oh let's be real here. There weren't a lot of black hip hop and R&B albums I liked. I was starting to feel a bit like an uncle tom. Prior to this album the only hip-hop album I reviewed I liked was the Beastie Boys album. I was questioning whether or not I should stop trying to review rap, because I just didn't get it. This album changed that. Finally a sublime marriage of production and lyrics, with few cheap gimmicks. An album that showcased talent rather than shameless pandering. An album that's introspective when it wants to be and bombastic when it wants to be. An album that doesn't insult the intelligence of its audience.
This album has heavy beats laced with well thought out well performed lyrics. It has single handedly restored my faith in rap after Jay-Z shot it to hell earlier today.
Am I giving this album a higher rating because of how disappointed I was with Watch The Throne? Probably. But why was I disappointed? Because I know in my gut rap can be better than that. This album strives to be better than that, and as a result is. In short Royce sounds hungry.
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