Here's what I've learned about this guy in doing my research for these introductory paragraphs. Although, for all intents and purposes, he's making his debut in 2014 with Neon Icon, he's apparently been around for quite a while. Born Horst Simco, he first got his start in his early twenties, after being influenced by the likes of local Texas rappers Devin the Dude and Paul Wall (seriously?). After starting to record over other artists' beats and passing along his mixtapes as ignorantly as possible, he found the music industry to be a huge bitch: none of the labels wanted to sign him. So Horst did the smart thing: he took advantage of the ever-growing Internet music community to showcase his music.
However, the fact that he was picked to be one of the cast members of MTV's From G's To Gents may have also played a role in gaining him exposure. He was apparently knocked out on the second episode (I don't even know how you can be eliminated from something like that, but I never saw the show, so pay me no mind), but his appearance left a lasting impression on viewers because, let's be honest, once you see someone that's looks like our host, you're not going to forget it any time soon.
Horst, who by now had taken on the creative moniker Riff Raff, signed with Diplo's independent label Mad Decent (I hesitate to write "indie", as that implies far more artistic merit that this artist deserves, but I think you all could have figured that out yourselves), and began to put himself out there, releasing a series of mixtapes and his debut album The Golden Alien, while rapping alongside some of the genre's more prominent members. He made his first mainstream splash with the single "Bird on a Wire", which seemed to gain a moderate amount of critical acclaim as well.
His next album (which is being promoted as his debut, but as I stated, A Golden Alien happened), Neon Icon, featuring appearances by Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, and (groan) Paul Wall followed shortly after, also on Mad Decent.
Now here's one thing I do find interesting about this album. Its production ranges from Lex Luger, Larry Fisherman, DJ Mustard, Harry Fraud, and Diplo. That essentially means that the record will likely contain very above average beats and that the label is really trying to push this as a legit album. My question now is this: will Riff Raff change up his style, or even try to connect with the audience in an attempt to be up to par with the production. Lil B, who largely followed a similar blueprint on his road to fame, is known to become more introspective on his studio albums. For my own sake, I hope so. I don't know if I'll be able to sit through an entire album of the prototypical Riff Raff.
Well, I guess I've prolonged this long enough.
1. Introducing the Icon
The fact that the first song on Neon Icon starts with Diplo impersonating a stereotypical white person listening to hip hop should turn me off completely, but I'm trying to be objective. Whoever made this beat starts the album off in a dominating fashion: it sounds like some shit N.W.A. would've been rapping over. Riff Raff himself is certainly firing on all cylinders (he calls himself "Gucci Mane with a spray tan" and the "rap game Johnny Bench" on the same song), but the real reason this got a few laughs at me is how above average it is. I mean, I guess I wasn't expecting a song that's this fucking entertaining. I doubt he can capture lightning in a bottle too many more times, but this is certainly a good sign.
2. Kokayne
I'm still not all that sure how to attack this album, but from an artistic viewpoint, this is terrible. However, when you look at it from a pure entertainment value standpoint, its still fairly awful. Although the misspelled song titled is genuinely hilarious, it manages to be the only entertaining element, as this track still manages not to work for me. However, it does sound completely different than the songs heavily promoted prior to the album's release, so it accomplishes showcasing another different facet in the Riff Raff diamond that he probably purchased with his advance without consulting an attorney and a financial adviser. He should at least act like he knows about health insurance, as the majority of artists signed to major label deals don't have any such coverage provided for them by their employer . I admit that I went off topic just a smidge, but that is a true fact.
3. Wetter Than Tsunami
The instrumental is so fucking fantastic that you'll be genuinely pissed for a few seconds that it wasn't used for another artist, but then you'll realize that most artists won't say "in the kitchen cooking cookies, but I'm not your damn grammy". I unfortunately can't remember much of anything that Riff Raff had to say and yet, I still kind of like this song, although it's certainly not because of our host's lyrical expertise. His hook just works so damn well that you'll have no choice but to like this just a little. Even if you tell yourself you don't, you know damn well that you do, so its better to just embrace it. The first step is always acceptance.
4. Jody 3 Moons (Skit)
Riff Raff's main attraction is supposed to be his comedy, so I was expecting something really entertaining here. Unfortunately, that's not what I got: this was just weird as hell.
5. Versace Python
If anything, one must applaud the ridiculous amount of instrumental variety showcased throughout the first five tracks. While that does make this one of the least cohesive albums I've ever heard, its good for our host to appeal to all of his audiences. This time around, he's venturing into the cloud rap that has been oh so prevalent over the last few years. The song itself is alright, not really my cup of tea, but I'd be pissed at myself if I didn't point out the fact that its called "Versace Python". I'm not sure why, but these fucking song titles are killing me right now. You all may have noticed (if you're still reading this review) that, other than on the intro, I haven't discussed Riff Raff's lyrical skills at all: that's because there isn't anything to say. He definitely isn't the worst rapper I've ever heard, but he's not utilizing his talents to say anything that damn funny.
6. Lava Glaciers (Feat. Childish Gambino)
With one of Harry Fraud's best beats in years and Childish Gambino making the first guest appearance (not his biggest fan, but it's not like the dude can't rap), Riff Raff would have to try really damn hard to ruin this song, and to his credit, he doesn't. This is a pretty damn good song, and not just because of Horst's usual standard. The beat sounds like a audio recording of the effects of marijuana, and even if the hook sounds out of place, it creates an atmosphere I would not expect to find on here. Nice work, fellas.
7. Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwwdins
Ah yes. It seems as though my fascination with these song titles has reached another peak, with the drawn out spelling of the word "tiptoeing". Funny shit, but this song is all types of generic. Riff Raff has actually been able to find to fairly extravagant instrumentals thus far, so the last thing I really want to hear is him rambling over some middle of the road trap beat. I will admit, though, that he's able to think of some pretty funny shit here. I especially enjoyed the line about him throwing a girls out of his house and making her sleep in his Versace sleeping bag. Anyways, as bad as this sounds already, this song could have benefited from a name-brand guest appearance on the hook.
8. Maybe You Love Me (Feat. Mike Posner)
Maybe, but I sure as hell don't love this song. This shit is fucking terrible. Back to my analysis of that last song: these songs could benefit from guests, as long as its not Mike Posner, holy shit this guy sounds like a pussy. That's not even me being a dick either, I'm simply stating facts. Ugh, this shits going down the drain fairly fast. I don't know if I can can do another one of these.
I don't know what in the hell an "aquaberry dolphin" is, but I want one, especially after hearing how enjoyable this song is. I've gotta give Horst some credit here: he was able to rescue the sinking ship that was Neon Icon, while correct using the talents of Mac Miller, which bodes well considering my new-found appreciation for the man. He's producing under his Larry Fisherman moniker, and this beat serves as a continuation of the stellar work he's displayed over the past year, and Riff Raff sounds alright as well.
Riff Raff talking in a British accent for a minute and forty seconds. Whoever told him that would be a good idea needs to be fired immediately. This was torturous to sit through.
I'm not completely sure, but I think that our host is honestly trying to make a very serious song. If that's the case, damn. This is one of the worst songs I've heard all year. The entire moral of the song revolves around the idea that time is a thing, and that it passes. Keep in mind that this is an observation that could have been made by a four-year old with Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome. This is the message that is meant to be sent at the core of the album's emotional centerpiece. It's only made worse when you realize that the entire thing is sung by Riff Raff, which makes this a failure of colossal proportions.
Riff Raff acquired the help of DJ Mustard, hip hop's hottest producer, to help him craft a lead single. For what it's worth, I found this to be relatively entertaining, but that might just be because of the video, which I remember being funny enough. I just think we've reached the point of the album where Riff Raff's charm has warn off. This has actually gained some radio play in my neck of the woods, which only adds to the theory that everything Mustard touches turns to gold (in this case, gold = mainstream radio play). I have no real qualms with this
I didn't think it was possible to feel absolutely no type of emotion towards a Riff Raff song, but here we are. I'd go into a bit more detail if the accompanying music was somewhat catchy. But its not, and I can't, so I won't.
14. VIP Pass to My Heart
Oh, wow. In keeping with the theme of making this the most diverse album ever, our host apparently decided to throw on a disco song. Riff Raff, there's a reason that ordinary disco went out of style, and this isn't ordinary. Its far below par. Seriously, this might be one of the worst songs all year, and it last way too long as well. The only reason I could ever imagine this making the final cut is that Horst really did want to make "the most diverse album ever". If that's the case, he failed, but I applaud the effort.
15. How to Be the Man (Remix) (Feat. Slim Thug & Paul Wall)
I've always thought that ending an album with a remix is a shitty thing to do. It offers essentially no chance for the project to end on a high note, and even if it is memorable, its not like we haven't basically heard the damn song already. Unfortunately, this isn't an anomaly. The only thing I found remotely notable is Riff Raff's voice, which is much deeper than its been for the entire album. I honestly thought he was Paul Wall upon first listen. It makes me wonder if, whenever his hype dies down, he would ever consider making a legitimately serious album. And no, "Time" doesn't count as "serious".
It won't surprise the few of you all still reading to learn that Neon Icon isn't a very good album. What will shock you, though, is that I didn't hate it. Riff Raff is a comedic, pop rapper through and through (I cannot imagine this guy continuing to record independent albums when the money train rolls away), but he isn't the worst rapper out there: he does have a bit of a flow. And he's smart enough to know that getting ironic rap fans to like your music is the key to financial success: that's why the majority of Neon Icon is programmed to appeal to that part of the world's population. The missteps arrive when Horst tries to branch out too far out of the genre, and when he just lacks the charisma to carry an entire fifteen song album. When you have a gimmick like our host's, you have to be completely ridiculous if you want to upgrade the song from the category of "pretty cool beat with a shitty rapper". Lyrically, aside from some admittedly funny moments, there is nothing here: anybody looking to Riff Raff for lyrical bon mots need to be evaluated immediately. The production, when taken track by track, sounds pretty good. But when you play the album from top to bottom, its almost offensively lacking in cohesion. And to make things worse, two of the year's worst songs ("Time" and "VIP Pass to My Heart") appear on here. Neon Icon isn't going to hold up well, its not going to have a huge impact on the genre, good or bad, but right now, it's fairly entertaining, and anyone looking for anything more has the wrong idea. Should you ever go out of your way to listen to this album? Fuck no! But you could do a lot worse.