Rich The Kid strikes it big with “Life’s A Gamble.”
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TOP 5 SONGS
5. Keep It Exclusive (Ft. Quavo)
Quavo and Rich The Kid in “Keep It Exclusive” = Steph Curry and LeBron James on Team USA.
I realized this track was straight fire when Rich The Kid dropped the line, “Sing to your b*tch like I’m Toosii.” That s**t hit me hard for some reason. After that, we get an amazing back-and-forth between Rich and Quavo, with Rich delivering some of his slickest raps and Quavo bringing high-octane raps that might be his best in a while. To top it all off, the hypnotic beat is absolutely killer.
No, seriously, Quavo killed this s**t.
4. Plain Jane (Ft. Kanye West)
Oh, I can tell Kanye West made Rich The Kid redo his verses in this track over and over again.
Seriously, Rich The Kid’s raps sound crisp as hell in “Plain Jane.” He finishes his bars excellently, sounds assertive, and doesn’t get punked by the booming beat. As for Kanye West, he fumbles on his words more than Joe Biden, but his little semblance of cocky aggression only adds to the track’s fiery feel.
3. Louie Coat (Ft. Chief Keef)
Sidenote: I fully understand why people f**k with Chief Keef now.
“Louie Coat” is some crazy s**t. First and foremost, the cartoonish beat from Murda Beatz is wild as hell. Rich The Kid throws all kinds of flows at the beat, practically playing darts with it, and talks about his trap days, which he rarely does these days. I like his contributions. However, the real standout is Chief Keef. He delivers an electrifying verse where he schools his haters, recounts encounters with women, and even mentions productive conversations with Elon Musk.
2. Gimme A Second 2 (Ft. Peso Pluma, Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign)
To my defense, this track sounds very different from the original.
“Gimme A Second 2” definitely sounds holier than the original version. It’s not just because Mr. Jesus, Kanye West, is on the track, but also because the beat features some unmistakable church elements. That said, West and Ty Dolla $ign deliver contributions that will make you say “Amen.” In their back-and-forth, they discuss getting chicks to do what they want, being told they won’t go to heaven, and being reverends. Ty Dolla $ign’s part is short, while Kanye’s presence takes over the track.
1. Gimme A Second (Ft. Peso Pluma)
This is one of my favorite Rich The Kid tracks of all time.
I think “Gimme A Second” is excellent. For starters, the track boasts this bass-heavy, uptempo beat that I love. Over it, Rich The Kid slides his ass off. Not only does he ride the beat extremely well (Which is surprising considering that his flows are usually shaky as hell), but I also really f**k with his lyrics about turning rags to riches. As for featured guest Peso Pluma, he contributes a verse that will convince you that he’s bipolar.
SONG-BY-SONG RATING
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RGM RATING
(C+)
There’s a place in the hip-hop game for Rich The Kid. He confirms that with Life’s A Gamble.
For someone like Rich The Kid, having top-notch production is as crucial as a wide receiver needing a skilled quarterback. Fortunately, with Kanye West heavily involved in the production of Life’s A Gamble, this aspect of the album shines. Throughout the project, Rich is provided with multi-layered beats that blend sacred vibes, unforgiving trap influences, tons of bass, and more. In other words, he’s not rapping over basic s**t.
Am I about to call Rich The Kid a top 5 rapper in the game? Absolutely not. But I can say this: he’s definitely entertaining. While he might not have the smoothest flow or the sharpest punchlines and melodies on Life’s A Gamble, his unapologetic style still hits. Maybe it’s because he comes across as someone who, like the rest of us, isn’t trying to be the sharpest tool in the shed all the time.
Speaking of Rich The Kid’s lyrics, they stay on some boss s**t. Throughout Life’s A Gamble, he talks about the usual topics like stacking bread, grinding his ass off, messing with dimes, and spending money recklessly. While this department doesn’t really move me, when layered over the fantastic production, it creates a unique experience.
In the past, Rich The Kid has collaborated with just about everyone—he even got Kendrick Lamar to give him a verse early on. This time around, for Life’s A Gamble, he was very selective with his collaborators. He worked with Peso Pluma, French Montana, Chief Keef, BIA, Quavo, and Young Adz. Unlike before, Rich doesn’t just sit back and let these artists take over; he holds his own and establishes the tone for a good chunk of the tracks.
Rich The Kid is not a good rapper, guys. It’s OK; we all can’t be good at everything. However, if you can’t look past his rapping, at least listen to this project because of the beats; they are f**king amazing.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
