Young Jeezy, YG & Doughboyz Cashout – Boss Yo Life Up Gang (Mixtape Review) DX Consensus: “Just A Mixtape”
Where many of Hip Hop’s stars have flourished with self-owned imprints (a logical business progression from being an industry cash cow), Young Jeezy’s Corporate Thugz Entertainment can only count him as a success story. Whether bad timing or other circumstances were involved, Freddie Gibbs’ soured deal left behind a noticeable trail of bad blood, a possible cautionary tale considering the label did little to make good on his already established presence. Rolling the dice and hoping for better luck, the freshest members of the CTE World regime are Detroit’s Doughboyz Cashout and YG of “Toot It and Boot It” fame, aligning with Jefe (Jeezy’s self-ascribed Spanish translation for “boss”) for his team’s latest street project, Boss Yo Life Up Gang.
True to their name, the members of Doughboyz Cashout (HBK, Doughboy Dre, Doughboy Quis and Payroll) hardly ever relieve listeners of the group’s addiction to speaking of wealth. The monolithic tape seems to be one long song about lavish flossing, crass promiscuity, and getting wasted—normally passable topics from emcees capable of some diversity, if not the ability to be both crude and interesting. Simple hooks include “Mo Money’s,” “I got mo’ money than you” chant, “Shame On You” taunting, “If you don’t think a nigga rich, shame on you” and “Chris Paul” where Jeezy uses the Clippers’ point guard as a hashtag Rap punchline to follow the phrase “I ball hard.”
With Jeezy’s acquisition of YG in place, he is able to further benefit from an already prosperous relationship with the Cali spitter’s right-hand producer DJ Mustard (responsible for his 2012 club hit “RIP”). Mustard’s catchy and innovative percussion (often classified as “ratchet” music) is found on the cocky “Fuck You,” the team loyalty anthem “My Nigga” (featuring Auto-tune’s latest sensation Rich Homie Quan), and “Setup Bitch,” dedicated to women of ill repute. Doubling down on the insensitive misogyny, “Next Bitch” refuses to accept the opposite sex as fully realized human beings, let alone equals.
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As Jeezy is concerned, his major flaw on Boss Yo Life Up Gang is releasing mostly unpolished music from the newest members of CTE’s consistently rotating cast. Having long ago mastered his own formula, the hood lessons of “Talk That,” the determination to maintain his position on “Hungry” and the composure behind “No Pressure” are within his familiar comfort zone. All of the above are complete with his infamous background ad-libs stretching the vowels in “yeah” and “that’s right.” Unfortunately, cheap moments like “Bravo,” where Doughboyz Cashout fail to be clever applying its title towards the strip club cue, “Make that ass clap” are quite common, with the inspirational “Living My Dream” being but a rare departure from their shenanigans. Constantly shouting out their present miraculous affiliation in likely efforts of stirring up envy, these additions and their utter lack of complexity should only wind up pleasing the easily impressed.
Listen to Young Jeezy, Doughboyz Cashout & YG “Bo$$ Yo Life Up Gang”
