Will Russ finally get the respect that he deserves after the release of Shake The Snow Globe?
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TOP 5
5. MOMMA
I love it when Russ pays homage to his mom like he does on “Momma.”
On “Momma,” Russ raps about his wins, his mother’s wins, his celebrity encounters, his mansion, and his ex-chick that he’s still f**king. He also finds a way to drop an extremely infectious hook on the song.
“Momma” should motivate you to go out in the world and get some Ws.
4. I THOUGHT YOU GOT ME
Benny The Butcher and Russ keep it 100 on “I Thought You Got Me.”
“I Thought You Got Me” is a pretty dramatic song. On it, you get an instrumental that is on some somber s**t, a screwed up/squeaky hook that is on some Alvin & The Chipmunks/Fat Albert s**t, and powerful lyrics about disloyalty, distrust, and betrayal by Russ and featured guest Benny The Butcher.
3. GUESS WHAT
Russ brags his ass off in “Guess What.”
“Guess What” features a sly-ass beat that I feel like you can do the electric slide to. As for Russ and featured guest Rick Ross, they hurl out braggadocios bars that are delivered consistently, nonchalantly, and rather arrogantly on the song.
“Guess What” is the best rap song I’ve heard this year.
2. CIVIL WAR
”Civil War” is probably my favorite song from last year.
“Civil War” is a summertime hit that is way too infectious to ignore. Not only does the song feature a colorful beat, but it also features tough-ass raps, very meaningful content (The song is about ending feuds with your lover whenever you get a chance to), and an extremely catchy/memorable hook.
1. BEST ON EARTH
Russ and BIA make the perfect tandem on “BEST ON EARTH.”
“BEST ON EARTH” is powered by this trill-ass beat that, ironically, samples Trillville’s “Some Cut” song from back in the day. Over it, Russ and BIA rap about nasty s**t like grabbing ass cheeks, taking international trips to have sex, and leaving unidentified white stains on floors (Yikes).
You will like how raw Russ and BIA sound on “BEST ON EARTH.” You will also like the melodic hook the former gives us on the track.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. NEED A MINUTE (4/5)
2. GUESS WHAT (4.5/5)
3. A LOT MORE (4/5)
4. CAN’T GO ON (4/5)
5. A******E (3/5)
6. NIGHTTIME INTERLUDE (4/5)
7. ALL TO YOU (4/5)
8. SHOTS (4/5)
9. PATIENCE (4.5/5)
10. I THOUGHT YOU GOT ME (4.5/5)
11. FOOT ON THE GAS (4/5)
12. MOMMA (4.5/5)
1. CIVIL WAR (5/5)
2. BEST ON EARTH (5/5)
OVERALL RATING
(B)
A lot of people thought that I gave Zoo a bad grade. In my humbling opinion, I thought something was missing from the album. In Shake The Snow Globe, I believe Russ reaches the potential that I saw for him back then.
On Shake The Snow Globe, Russ doesn’t put up a good rap performance; he puts up a fantastic rap performance! Not only does he make sure to piece together his thoughts rawly on the album, but he also gifts us with great flows, explosive deliveries, and clever bars. At the end of the day, I love how Russ treats every rap verse on this album like it’s his last.
As much as I like the rapping on Shake The Snow Globe, I like the hooks on the album even more! Russ’ ability to make hooks that are both infectious and smooth but also meaningful and raw is hella impressive. What’s also impressive is how Russ is able to make tough-ass bars and smooth hooks play nice with one another on songs.
As much as I like both the rapping and the hooks on Shake The Snow Globe, I like the beats on the album even more! Russ makes sure to stay in this serene/MC-ready pocket production-wise. When it’s all said and done, I love the fact that he understands what sound works best for him.
Shake The Snow Globe is a body-of-work that is trill, smooth, inspirational, motivational, and infectious. Russ was in his bag on the album!
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
