B.O.M.B.s And Beats. You Ready Roc?

“That’s the bomb, dog…”

I remember when that was the cool vernacular for “That’s cool.” There was even a time when it was used to reference anything and everything that was amazing, awesome, or just plain good. I would imagine that entitling a musical effort thusly would paint you into something of a corner. It’s all but an indictment to make something epic.

So with New Jersey rapper Ready Roc naming his mixtape Da B.O.M.B. you all but feel that he has no choice but to make it a classic. So I went into this review with high expectations. Suffice to say my expectations were not in vain. Granted I don’t see much in the way of lyrical originality but everything else is on point. What I like most here is how certain songs give me a Southern feel while others take me to Brick City. Mixing it up is wonderful for longevity in the hip-hop game. Seems like Ready has that covered.

I’m just a squirrel/And this world is my acorn

The entire mixtape is full of punch lines just like that. My single favorite song on this mixtape would have to be “Dolla Dolla”. I love how Redman’s voice can be heard in ad libs and balances out the tone of Ready’s voice.

I’m not the biggest fan of “Be Gone” but I cannot honestly say it isn’t catchy. And to be completely honest I feel like every African-American male (maybe any male) has felt like that. College in general is filled with that sort of sentiment and I can say that I once had the exact same mentality that this song engenders. It’s hard for me to say I completely hate this song because of the throbbing beat and the amazing number of punch lines that Ready is giving me to chew on. It’s a dilemma but an amazing one.

“Is This What You Want?” is no doubt influenced by the South. I say that first because I hear the familiar sound of Lil’ Jon screaming “Gangsta…”, the keyword and biggest cue of a Gangsta Grillz mixtape. It’s another one of those short songs that get you excited with very little effort. Right now I sit writing this while trying to resist standing, jumping up and down with sheer crunk flowing through my veins.

“Coming Home” is beautiful introspection over a repeated vocal hook and an acoustic guitar taking you through his story of growth and wanting more for those he cares about.

Ready Roc, the name is well deserved because you made me rock with this one. You also didn’t lie when you titled your mixtape. You lit the fuse and basically killed me with an explosion of purely amazing sound.