This is definitely not something I would have found on my own, so thanks to the Village Voice's "Status Ain't Hood" blog for showing me this:




The synth on this track is just brilliant. It's ethereal and bouncy and really gives the track a nice playful feel. The boilerplate 808 claps and snare roll fills are great and the whole beat is skillful, but the synth is what really fills it out and does it for me. That and R Kelly is as talented as he is creepy, which is to say very. There was a nice article somewhere about how he's managed to turn most of the bad press against him, including his neighbors' constant complaints to the police, into this nuanced story about how he's being persecuted or something. Regardless, that man can write a good hook and knows where to put his little bursts of harmony over a verse. He just owns that bridge and even though his lyrics sound like they were written by a sixteen year old boy, they somehow work.

But this video is amazing for very ironic reasons only. Rick Ross would apparently rather jump off a bridge then even try to argue his way out of a speeding ticket. Why he thinks it's cool to leave his car, with a license plate, his friend and their synchronized shoulder rubbers is beyond me. Maybe he thinks the cop won't talk to them or track him down by plate number. Maybe he thinks DJ Khaled will handle this one just fine (perhaps by shouting "we tha best" and "I'm from the hood" until he passes out). Either way, it turns out to be a good move because somehow we find Rick rapping on a boat, throwing money everywhere, and hanging out with R Kelly. I guess that trumps a speeding ticket.

Oh, and when he pays off the cop at the end he just says "boss" like it actually means something in that context. I wonder if Rick Ross thinks this shit is funny or just sweet. Either way, it works for me.