Playaz Circle - "Dear Mr. LA Reid" (mp3)
As much as it's one of my pet causes to bitch about how major label rap albums and getting too short, I have to admit that there are instances where it works. Playaz Circle's debut album Supply & Demand is only 11 songs, but it's just the right length for an album from a couple of no-names from Ludacris's label that noone seemed to think would ever get a moment of fame, aside from the great guest verses Tity Boi's been dropping on DTP and Luda albums since Golden Grain. They even seem to be taken offguard by the success of "Duffly Bag Boy" themselves, early on Supply & Demand stating "you know, it wasn't our intention to drop an album this year." It's like they got so accustomed to noone giving a shit about them for the last 3-4 years they were signed that once they had a hit, they almost resented having to throw together an album quick to capitalize on it. Still, it's probably the best quickie cash-grab Southern rap album I've heard this year, better than Gorilla Zoe or Hurricane Chris or Rich Boy, and while that might not sound like much, it's the kind of small success I tend to enjoy. I might like "Duffle Bag Boy" more than any recent tracks that Lil Wayne actually rapped on (though I'm not encouraging his singing career, and want no more atrocities like "Hello Brooklyn 2.0"), and it's great largely because of Tity Boi and Dolla Boy's verses, so I can't even begrudge them getting on the radio with the same guest artist that everyone else got on the radio with this year.
The album opens with a song called "Dear Mr. LA Reid," which is kind of ballsy, directly addressing the head of their label that probably barely even heard of them until their BDS went through the roof and he decided to give them a release date. It's not hostile and it's not pleading, actually it doesn't even address him to much besides the line "dear Mr. LA Reid, 'Duffle Bag' was just a seed/ I hope you see our vision," just trying to illustrate that they're more than a single to cash in on and then move on from. "Duffle Bag Boy" sounds even better in the context of the album, and there's only a handful of songs that kind of feel like they're near its level, but they do have potential and a ton of punchlines. Or at least Tity Boi does (probably the hardest I laughed at a rap record this year was when he says "I got so women/ I need another dick! (DICK!)" on "#1 Trap Pick"), Dolla Boy is just kind of a boring dude who sounds strangely like Too $hort. But ever since that last Disturbing Tha Peace compilation, I'm come to realize that DTP is probably the best rap superstar vanity label going the past couple years. DTP drops albums consistently whether or not they sell, and Shawnna and Field Mob and Shareefa's last records were all pretty good, and Serius Jones has more potential to make good records than your average battle rapper. Shame they got back with Chingy, though.
As much as it's one of my pet causes to bitch about how major label rap albums and getting too short, I have to admit that there are instances where it works. Playaz Circle's debut album Supply & Demand is only 11 songs, but it's just the right length for an album from a couple of no-names from Ludacris's label that noone seemed to think would ever get a moment of fame, aside from the great guest verses Tity Boi's been dropping on DTP and Luda albums since Golden Grain. They even seem to be taken offguard by the success of "Duffly Bag Boy" themselves, early on Supply & Demand stating "you know, it wasn't our intention to drop an album this year." It's like they got so accustomed to noone giving a shit about them for the last 3-4 years they were signed that once they had a hit, they almost resented having to throw together an album quick to capitalize on it. Still, it's probably the best quickie cash-grab Southern rap album I've heard this year, better than Gorilla Zoe or Hurricane Chris or Rich Boy, and while that might not sound like much, it's the kind of small success I tend to enjoy. I might like "Duffle Bag Boy" more than any recent tracks that Lil Wayne actually rapped on (though I'm not encouraging his singing career, and want no more atrocities like "Hello Brooklyn 2.0"), and it's great largely because of Tity Boi and Dolla Boy's verses, so I can't even begrudge them getting on the radio with the same guest artist that everyone else got on the radio with this year.
The album opens with a song called "Dear Mr. LA Reid," which is kind of ballsy, directly addressing the head of their label that probably barely even heard of them until their BDS went through the roof and he decided to give them a release date. It's not hostile and it's not pleading, actually it doesn't even address him to much besides the line "dear Mr. LA Reid, 'Duffle Bag' was just a seed/ I hope you see our vision," just trying to illustrate that they're more than a single to cash in on and then move on from. "Duffle Bag Boy" sounds even better in the context of the album, and there's only a handful of songs that kind of feel like they're near its level, but they do have potential and a ton of punchlines. Or at least Tity Boi does (probably the hardest I laughed at a rap record this year was when he says "I got so women/ I need another dick! (DICK!)" on "#1 Trap Pick"), Dolla Boy is just kind of a boring dude who sounds strangely like Too $hort. But ever since that last Disturbing Tha Peace compilation, I'm come to realize that DTP is probably the best rap superstar vanity label going the past couple years. DTP drops albums consistently whether or not they sell, and Shawnna and Field Mob and Shareefa's last records were all pretty good, and Serius Jones has more potential to make good records than your average battle rapper. Shame they got back with Chingy, though.
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