Midwestern representative Stalley set out to make an album that reverberates with the values red state country has come to represent. And he has succeeded in selling us on the merits of the cold industriousness of Ohio, but his “intelligent truck music” doesn’t quite hit home. With a growing legion of fans and the backing to put together another potential standout project, expectations rose to a higher level for Stalley’s debut album Ohio than any of his previous projects.
Yet with a lyrical display that is earnestly straightforward but lacking in diversity, Stalley has produced an album that relies heavily on catchy hooks rather than the off-kilter homeliness of verses found on past tracks such as “Petrin Hill Peonies” that helped him achieve fame. Failing to truly connect with the albums’ overall conceptual arc, the sound production provided to him by long-time collaborator Rashad and fellow producer Black Diamond (Logic, Mac Miller) on Ohio doesn’t consistently contain the substance needed to make the transition from bumping on car speakers to close listening on a pair of headphones.
Right from the intro, it’s apparent something about Stalley’s style has changed; the beats are more modern, wavy and electronic than his past “Swangin” or underground-sounding tracks. But for fans of Stalley’s signature car culture style and slowed down records, this album provides a few throwbacks. In fact, the album’s first true song is a homage to Chevy’s and “Boyz-N-The-Hood.”
“I swear the boys in my hood are always hard. Come flossing around, they’ll take your car. See around these parts, Chevy jackin’ is law, and what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is ours,” rhymes Stalley, borrowing NWA rapper Eazy-E’s flow on the album’s first single: “Jackin’ Chevys.” Yet while the track sticks to the script Stalley has set before him – a car-loving emcee from a rough part of Ohio – it does little to push Stalley forward, overly relying on his flow to evoke memories of his 80s and 90s youth.
Stalley’s obsession with cars is made apparent throughout Ohio, with concept tracks such as “Chevelle” featuring Rashad blurring the lines between rides and women; and while this may excite Stalley’s diehard fans, it will do little to win over new listeners looking for Ohio to move from talking the state’s crumbling bridges and collapsing economy into the intimate – the values of the hard-working, blue collar people who define it’s landscape.
“A nigga got problems, sittin’ here, plottin’ how to count a million dollars. I need houses and garages, got baby mama drama, get my mama out them projects,” he raps on the hook of Ohio’s third track “Problems,” falling short of conveying the true emotions of the scene, oft-repeated, of feeling as though the sky were an ocean pressing down on you. It is a reality he stops short of giving us true emotional access to.
Even though the first half of the album skates by simply on its beats (“Boomin’” pairs a light, airy set of electronic chimes with an ominous set of horns in the background; “What It Be Like” featuring Nipsey Hussle is luminously jazzy for Stalley, much like the later track “Free”), Ohio’s second half is much closer to vintage Stalley.
It begins with Ohio’s second single, “Always Into Something” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, a track with a beat sure to have heads nodding between the bass, the dark-sounding horns and a guitar sample reminiscent of 50 Cent’s “21 Questions.” “Impala on eights, dope boys on crates, Swiss movement on watch, 45 on the waist. Got a million dollar hustle, a rich nigga face, white cocaine, rack it up on the plate,” rhymes Stalley, the topics the same but the lyrics spun with noticeably more gruff.
“System On Loud,” features another wavy, electronic beat, quickly asserting itself as another one of the album’s top tracks. “Fish-tailing down the eighty screaming F the world, with not a care to give. / I don’t want to be judged, I just want to live / This for the genius loners and all my stoner kids,” he raps on the tracks only verse, his voice going in and out as if out of a dream; the perfect track for a late night ride.
As the disjointed Ohio comes to a close, the final track “Navajo Rugs” pairing Stalley with Golden Age veterans De La Soul, an inquisitive, thoughtful Stalley proves that while he is a talent with a diverse skillset, he has yet to find the focus to bend and transform his emotions into a universal narrative.
This album surprised me, Stalley got substance in his music and the production is great, the only song I don’t like is “One More Shot”.
One more shot is my shit!!!
Im rt there wit u homie
This album us fire!!
Cosign im about to cop it.
I love anything that’s MMG. They’re like the new De La Soul
LIKE DE LA SOUL!!!! u fucking idiot
L.M.F.A.O Classic trolling “Like De La Soul “
Good review. I like the album. It’s dope.
It gets better as the album goes on, first 3 or 4 songs weren’t anything special. It’s aight, just what I expected of Stalley
Dope album in my opinion. LOL at this review though, it’s all over the place but that’s to be expected from hiphopdx.
hmmk…
So first the reviewer says he tried something new but it didn’t really fit his style, than later he basically says stalley isn’t willing to step out his land so he will never have universal appeal whatever. The album is solid I would give it a 3.8 if your a fan of stalley you will love it if your not this won’t make you a believer. But I’m pretty sure that’s what stalley was reaching for on this album.
Don’t be surprised by the review. This site is employed by morons.
Lol this ^
Classic flames
Beats are ill, flows not so much.
fuck this cop loving fake muslim
HOW CAN THEY GIVE THIS ALBUM A 3.5 AMD THEN GIVE IT A BAD REVIEW. i’M NOT A FAN BUT IT’S A GOOD ALBUM. IT DESERVED THE RATING IT GOT BUT THEY COULD HAVE GIVEN IT A BETTER REVIEW. LAST MONTH A FEW ALBUMS RECIEVED A 3.0 RATING WITH A BETTER REVIEW THAN THIS ONE. IT’S ALL GOOD THO. HOPE TO HEAR MORE FROM STALLEY
I think Stalley’s debut was pretty dope nice production and lyrics and he was talking about things from a Midwest perspective which is something that I could relate to since im from the Midwest myself ( Wichita,Kansas) so I give Stalley a passing grade and his stock went up with me a little bit after hearing his debut.
Stalley’s been had bars! Check out his earlier tapes “Goin Ape” and “Mad Stalley: The Autobiography”. “Lincoln Way Lights”, “Savage Journey To The American Dream”, and “Honest Cowboy” are classics!
solid, not classics
Decent effort but nothing more. Lincoln Way Nights is still his best work.
just crap like other 2014 releases
This album fuckin sucks. This is coming from someone that’s been a fan of Stalley since day one. Biggest disappointment of the year.
I’d have to agreed I’m very dissapoint “Honest Cowboy” was better than this
dope
Dope Album. Different vibe. Different Flow. Dope production/beats. Better than a lotta crap out there right now. I bought it and it’s on Repeat.
love this artist. his mixtapes where nicer tho to hear
Excellent album, exceeded expectations, starts out slow on your first listen but like a true classic it grows on you. The lyrics are to the point and on-point, the beats are unique, and put in that zone, that chill, vibing kind of mode, and it there is message, and entertainment on an intelligent level. This is the best work from the MMG camp outside of the Ross of course, but it still can’t be quite compared as he holds his own lane and fits in at the same time, sort of like Wale, but less pretentious and more gifted. I’m looking forward to a lot more of his work now, and I hope this release is as every bit successful for him as it well put together.
I’d give it a 3.5 at the most….it’s a solid album, but I don’t think i’ll have it in rotation.
Dope ass album. Constant replay value
excellent !
Incredible production!
1/5
Shoutout to the reviewer. This review is excellent. Stalley talks about guns and drugs more than ever on this project, I was shocked, but didn’t mind it until song after song referred to guns or drugs. Overall the album is OK. I enjoyed hearing a new sound from Stalley, though I am disappointed a bit. As the reviewer stated vintage stalley is more toward the end.
“What it be like” and “System on Loud” & ” Rugs”
Honest Cowboy tops this release for sure.