Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S. (3-31-2009)

Posted on Apr 22 in Reviewsby adminPrint

Last year around this exact same time Flo Rida was the hottest and newest thing in the entire music industry. After 365 days he has accomplished a feat that not too many other new rappers can in being as relevant, if not, more relevant than he was when he first blew up. His second effort, R.O.O.T.S. (Route Of Overcoming The Struggle) should be a continuation of exactly where he left off with last year’s Mail On Sunday. Judging from the first single’s success things are definitely headed in the right direction for the Carol City native.

The Drumma Boy produced opening effort “Finally Here” starts off sounding great but Flo Rida’s watered down made-for-club flow defaces the entire track and its message. As horrible as you probably would want to feel about the Nelly Furtado assisted “Jump” you’ll still be hard pressed to not want to move your body, especially if something fine is shakin her ass all on you in some hot ass club. Tina Turner’s “Private Dancer” is lifted for the emotionally charged 2009 stripper advocate anthem “Gotta Get It (Dancer).” Ex Pretty Ricky front-man Pleasure P lends Flo Rida some of his savvy on the effectively Jim Jonson, Dre, and Vidal produced sensually teasing second single, “Shone.”  

For some reason I was under the impression that Flo Rida’s lead single “Right Round” was an ode to great falacio but apparently it’s another song about showering dumb ass strippers with single dollar bills. Once again, Flo Rida makes a great attempt to leave the club for a short three minutes with the sentimentally charged J-Rock and Gorilla Tek helmed “R.O.O.T.S.” Wow, for the first time in history Ne-Yo actually sounds dope as he assists on one of the album’s great standouts “Be On You.”

“Mind On My Money”, though it turns out to be very redundant by song’s end, its still great to hear another money infatuated rap anthem, especially one where the artist actually displays some genuine appreciation for it. “Available” is another great example of how great will.i.am and Akon are at fucking songs up for people. The best, eeer, worst thing in this case is that they’re both involved in a single atrocity. The album’s absolute standout comes when Flo Rida gets up close and personal on the Keri Hilson assisted “Never” where he basically rambles off about three hundred things that you should never do over a cold ass beat courtesy of Happy Perez.  

If you’re strictly into guns, dope, and violence then you will fin absolutely nothing for you in R.O.O.T.S. On the other hand if you enjoy music that makes beautiful women shake their phat asses then this might just be your favorite album this year. There was obviously great attention paid to the small and large details of music on this album. As much as I hate to say it Flo Rida has managed to go two for two with his first releases.

VERDICT – 14 / 20
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 4
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 4