Music from the Mixtape Picture: Ocean’s 7
Hip hop loves a thick helping of machismo. Call it confident or cocky, gloating or gratification, swagger or self-assurance, men of the genre have long expressed their bravado, sometimes grabbing a set of like-minded pals for the joy ride. Such is the case with Ocean’s 7, a bromantic septet rallied by Jermaine Dupri after his protégé Usher pitched the idea of establishing an urban Rat Pack. At eye level, the conglomerate—consisting of JD, Ursh, Bryan-Michael Cox, Nelly, Trey Songz, Johnta Austin, and Ty—seem an odd mix. However, affinities for affluence and long legs prove instrumental in their bond. And though it’s understandable that catering to personal ego has its upshot, the grandstanding of Music from the Mixtape Picture: Ocean’s 7 is too overwhelming to bear.
At first listen the tape works as an artist spotlight for singers Johnta Austin and Trey Songz, who sound as if they’re competing with each other while trading boasts over three original productions—“Too Much Swag,” “I Need That Girl,” and “Vegas Baby”—and tracks from the likes of Kanye West and Yung L.A. But Ocean’s 7 ultimately sounds like a playground for JD, who spends more than half the tape spewing monetary jabs at haters. Nelly and Ty are by his side to deliver average bars, but what might’ve made for the tape’s most entertaining weapon, Usher, speaks a few safe words on the “Vegas Is Our Town” interlude—the married father of two brags about a high-profile bachelor’s life—and is otherwise absent. Perhaps he realized this string of spoiled tales sounds just that—spoiled.
Music from the Mixtape Picture: Ocean’s 7 is available for download now.
Music from the Mixtape Picture: Ocean’s 7 Track Listing:- “Intro”
- “Aint I”
- “Diddy Skit”
- “Too Much Swag”
- “I Need That Girl”
- “Where’s The Love”
- “Owe Me Sex”
- “It’s Amazing”
- “Day and Night”
- “Vegas Is Our Town”
- “Vegas Baby”
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