Rocko - Self-Made Review

Posted by Patrick Robinson on 03.31.2008

What are the requirements for becoming a rapper these days? God knows they're too low if music like this is allowed to be released...

Rocko, a rapper from Atlanta signed to the So So Def/Island Urban Music label through his own imprint, Rocky Road Records in 2007. You’d think that somebody signed to Jermaine Dupri’s label would receive in-house production along with obligatory Jermaine Dupri appearances yet this seems to not be the case as Rocko is content to forge along at his own pace mainly utilising a producer known only as Drumma Boy.

I’m really reaching for anything here as the only other piece of almost-relevant information I could find is that he’s the boyfriend of R&B singer Monica and has two children with her.

Well, let’s get this started then.



Tracks

1. Dis Morning
2. Umma Do Me
3. Hustle Fo Ft. Lloyd
4. Busy
5. Tomorrow
6. Old Skool
7. Priceless
8. Like This Here
9. That’s My Money
10. She Can Get It Ft. Dre
11. Snakes
12. Meal
13. Thugs Need Love Too Ft. Monica
14. Karma


Whilst the production on the first track is alright, a slow bass-line with string synths in the background, the content is absolutely done to death in the ‘money on my mind’ vein. Given his delivery on the track is sleep inducing and that he’s not going anywhere I haven’t heard a hundred other rappers do (and even the worst of them are still managing to do it better) before, it’s a pretty bad way to start the album.

The lead single, “Umma Do Me” is up next and is being billed as a club smash. I honestly think you’d have to be damn near comatose drunk to listen to this in a club. The beat is alright for the club, nothing new and it’s got that Southern flavor to it that will make it popular for a while at least, but Rocko is frustrating as hell lyrically. Now I know that club tracks aren’t meant to be lyrical masterpieces, but come on, some semblance of catchiness in the wordplay is usually required. Here’s the chorus in it’s entirety:

”You just do you (and what), umma do me, umma do me, umma do me
You just do you (and what), umma do me, umma do me, umma do me
Wanna see how it's done? Then watch me do me, watch me do me, watch me do me
Wanna see how it's done? Then watch me do me, watch me do me, watch me do me”

I know, it’s Dr. Seuss all over again.

The next track with Lloyd, “Hustle Fo” is marginally better as the production is more vibrant and Lloyd’s vocal work on the hook is an improvement from Rocko’s monotonous droning. However, the song is entirely too predictable although this is pretty much the most motivated Rocko sounds on the entire album.

“Tomorrow”, “Old Skool” and “Priceless” I’m lumping together here because the verdict is the same for each track. Production: Repetitive and boring. Lyrics: Don’t bother asking. It’s tracks like these that seriously make me question the requirements for becoming a rapper these days. It’s also tracks like these that fool me into thinking that Soulja Boy is a half-way competent rapper if only for his ability to actually create remotely catchy club tracks as Rocko’s catchy factor is somewhere around negative three at this point.

“Like This Here” features some actually interesting production as a piano loop is played over a light but engaging bass line. Rocko’s lyrics improve ever so slightly as he’s at least intelligible and his money-boasting sounds comfortable over the beat.

“She Can Get It” with Dre is the best track on the album (though that’s not saying much) as Dre’s hook is pretty catchy and the production is quite different to that found on the rest of the album. Given it’s a Cool & Dre track compared to virtually every other track being produced by Dumma Boy though. Rocko still manages to drag the song down with a delivery that reminds me of what the child of Ma$e and Yung Joc would sound like.

“Thugs Need Love Too” is exactly what you think it’s going to be about and it’s done pretty terribly to boot. Monica’s singing is restricted to repeating ”A thug need love too” over and over again. The production, whilst not horrible, doesn't quite match the vibe of the song they were going for either and makes the whole song seem even more uncomfortable. Given the two are involved in a relationship with each other, you wouldn't think that either of these problems would be present.

Closing out the album is “Karma” which features a hook by an unlisted singer who adds a little emotion to the track whilst Rocko manages to move beyond the Southern hip-hop clichés into a more mainstream hip-hop cliché of thanking God for everything he has. However, he puts a little twist on it by saying that although he’s got the money and clothes, because of his past actions, karma could come and take it all from him.

The 411: When I was discussing this album with a friend I couldn’t help but think that I’d heard this music somewhere before. Then it hit me. Rocko is pretty much a poor man’s Young Jeezy and given that Young Jeezy isn’t winning any Rapper of the Year awards anytime soon, you have to think that Rocko is pretty much bottom of the barrel. Totally uninspired production courtesy of Drumma Boy and an even worse lyrical performance from Rocko is going to make this one of the worst albums of 2008 and one of the worst albums I’ve heard in my life.

Final Score:  2.5   [ Very Bad ]