Everybody's favorite former correctional officer and his team have hit us with the follow up to last year's Self Made Vol. 1. I enjoyed volume 1 but I've been a little iffy on a few of the member's music these past few months, so I've been very eager to see if they can hit us with another solid record this time around. Also ready to see how Omarion Maybach O blends in with the rest of the team. Let's jump in.
1) Rick Ross, Gunplay, Meek Mill, Wale, and Stalley - Power Circle (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)
The intro track. "The square root of a kilo is me, nigga!" Coonery at it's finest. MMG tells us how they're running it now, and give us a little look in on the grind that they put in to be in the position that they are in now. Kendrick steals the show with the last verse on the track.
2) Meek Mill & Rick Ross - Black Magic
Typical stunting music. The way that Meek and Ross are bringing in money right now is like magic. Poof, and it's there. Basically reminding us how rich they are compared to us common folk. Type of shit that'll have you going 90 in a 65.
3) Wale, Omarion & Rick Ross - This Thing of Ours (Feat. Nas)
Again they remind us of the grind they put in to be put in the position that they're in. Typical Ross verse, which is a good thing. Wale then chips in on the grind, as well as how he feels that they have a target on their back. Nas hits us with the best verse, as expected. Says some real shit, "Every male is not a man, so some of those that will hold out their hand won't understand." Solid track, other than the hook....got damnit Maybach O.
4) Rick Ross - All Birds (Feat. French Montana)
More boisterous, stunting raps from Rozay, along with a little bird talk. While I realize he is a talented rapper, I'd like to hear him switch his topics up every now and again. I fuck with Montana's hook and verse. The drug rap was a nice switch up from the stunting Ross brings with him on his verse.
5) Wale & Meek Mill - Actin' Up (Feat. French Montana)
Montana is along for the ride again, except this time he's along with Wale and Meek Milly. The one song on every album/mixtape that's dedicated to talking about "these hoes". Quite necessary if I say so myself. "I crush them hoes, never love them hoes, and these niggas be sweating them." Meek comes on strong from the jump, very impressive verse. Wale hits us with an average verse, I can't really take him seriously when one song he's writing poetry to women then trying to slay right after. Montana hits us with some quick stunting. Meek takes best verse, decent song.
6) Stalley & Rick Ross - Fountain of Youth (Feat. Nipsey Hussle)
This is where Rozay is at his best, over a smooth soulful beat dropping even smoother rhymes. Still stunting, but in a more subtle way. And just when I was wanting to say Stalley fell off after signing with MMG, he shuts me up with an ill verse. This is also his type of beat to ride on, rather than the more uptempo shit he's been jumping on as of late. Hu$$le ends it with a great verse, every time I hear him I feel like I've got to get off my ass and make something happen! No clear cut best verse on this one, which is a great thing.
7) Wale - I Be Puttin' On (Feat. Wiz Khalifa, French Montana & Roscoe Dash)
The pop song that you will eventually be hearing on the radio. Average verse from Wale again, no substance. Typical 2012 Wiz on here, stunting, weed, bitches women, and putting in work. "We know we love the game but we hate to brag." -Montana. Since when? This whole album is bragging. Trash hook from Roscoe Dash...not really feeling this one. But it will get them on the airwaves.
8) Wale, Stalley & Rick Ross - The Zenith
La music de Harry Fraud. Whenever I see Fraud on a production credit I know some ill shit is behind it, and this is no different. Some light stunting from Stalley to start things off, along with a few bars about being slept on. Good verse to get the ball rolling. "Shout out Seattle but these rappers ain't stealing my Thunder." Wale finally grabs my attention with some ill lines in this one. Speaks on how being humble can grow old...I see where he's coming from. Ross speaks on coming up and staying relevant, decent verse on a decent track.
9) Omarion & Wale - M.I.A.
Omarion surprises me with some ill verses, and chorus. It helps that a lot of people can definitely relate to it. One leaves, you get a replacement, but you miss the one the left. Typical shit. Wale tops it off with a fitting verse. "The more attention you give them the more options they seek." Got damn if that isn't the truth....
10) Rick Ross, Wale & Meek Mill - Bag of Money (Feat T-Pain)
Damn.....I hate EVERYTHING about this song. Especially the basic joints walking around referring to themselves as "bags of money", now. Meek's verse is the closest thing to "ok" on this song.
11) Omarion & Rick Ross - Let's Talk
Definitely fucking with the Biggie samples throughout this one. Catchy joint, good for the radio. Basically serenading a young lady the whole song. Didn't feel Ross' verse too much.
12) Gunplay - Black on Black (Feat. Ace Hood & Bun B)
Beat Billionaire laces them with a real ass beat. Ace Hood starts off the track right with the ill hook. Gunplay (who I once slept on, now I feel is very underrated) comes through with a dope verse, based on the color black. All sorts of ignorance in his verse, I love it. Bun B also comes through in the clutch. Usually I hate seeing him on track lists these days, but he doesn't disappoint today. Ace (who is also very underrated) finishes it off the right way. Boy I love the color black.
13) Stalley, Wale & Rick Ross - Fluorescent Ink
"Something that's forever true, my niggas over revenue." Wale comes through with another ill verse after the slow start at the beginning of the album. When I read the songs title I assumed that they were talking about tattoo ink, but they're actually referring to the ink on their notepad (their rhymes). Gotta love plays on words. Stalley finishes it off with a smooth verse, glad to see him back on his shit.
14) Rick Ross - Bury Me a G (Feat. T.I.)
Officer Ricky brings Clifford along for the final track. I wasn't really feeling the beat, but Rozay rips his verse. The real can relate, all you want in the end is to be next to your family and friends and know that everything will be taken care of once you're gone. Tip's verse is real as well. References when he was caught with firearms before the BET awards a few years back and goes on to rhyme about guns with the rest of his verse. Ends it with "Know that ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) is listening, I'm just playin', I'm just playin'!". Solid end.
Self Made Vol. 2 was pretty much what I expected it to be. Plenty of stunting, a little drug rap, several high profile features, and some energy records. At first I was let down with Wale's effort on this one but he got better with every song throughout the album. Meek Mill was impressive, I'm surprised he only had four verses on the album considering he's been the one with the most hits these past couple of years. It was good to see Stalley getting more burn on this one than last year's (one verse). Wish we got more than two verses out of Gunplay, intelligent ignorance at it's finest. Maybach O had one real track but I could have done without him on the rest of the album. Lastly, Rick Ross has done a great job forming his team and I'm glad to see him taking the backseat role on these compilations and letting his artists further establish themselves. The album is definitely worth listening to, it's all that we've become accustomed to from the Maybach Music Group.
BEST SONGS: Actin' Up, Fountain of Youth, M.I.A.
WORST SONGS: I Be Puttin' On, Bag of Money, Bag of Money, Bag of Money, and....................................Bag of Money
FINAL VERDICT: 3/5
