As of late, Troy Ave’s street cred is at an all-time high. After the Crown Heights, Brooklyn native was indicted on multiple charges stemming from a shooting outside at Irving Plaza, he is currently out on $500,000 bond. Rather than sitting behind bars, he’s now spitting bars on his latest album Roland Collins, aptly titled after his government name.
Reportedly written while sitting in jail on an attempted murder charge, the new album boasts 10 tracks that address a lot of what he’s going through. While he flexes his braggadocio muscle on songs like “Riding in My Whip,” “Hot Boy” and “Freaks Only,” it’s when he tackles more introspective and serious topics that he truly shines.
At 30-years-old, he undoubtedly still has some growing up to do, but perhaps after his latest legal issues, that process has been exponentially sped up. As he says on the somber “Drug Game,” “Born to get out the streets eventually…you can do the same/you just gotta know some things/risk that comes with this shit that can make your whole life change,” something he has lived first hand.
While he is out of jail, he is not technically free. He’s required to wear an ankle bracelet, cannot leave New York City, has an 11 p.m. curfew, and is banned from concerts, bars, arenas, and other music venues, which resulted from a singular, life altering event.
With a wide array of beats courtesy of Chase N. Cashe, Rubi Rosa, Robbie Nova, Yankee, Trilogy, John Scino, and Cito, the album retains quality production value but gets overshadowed by the shoddily mixed and mastering job.
From the soulful beats of “(News Talkin Intro) Real Eyes Realize Real Lies” to the laid back vibe of “Don’t Forget,” each record reveals the hard-won wisdom earned by someone who’s been dealt a bad hand (or simply didn’t play their cards right). While he’s able to clearly outline the struggles he’s experiencing, at the same time, he is trying to convey it doesn’t have to be that way and that there’s a better way to live, which is ironic considering his recent plight.
There are also moments where he falters, especially on “Pain.” The beat is sloppy and he seems to have a tough time riding it. Album closer, “Chuck Norris (Hoes & Gangstas)” is sadly another generic attempt at sounding “hard.” For an album that initially seems to illustrate his growth as a man, he ends it on a pretty sour note, proudly proclaiming, “I’m a pretty fly nigga that will shoot you.” Well, that’s exactly what got him in the sticky predicament he’s in at the moment. (“It is what it is and I feel no remorse,” he continues, much to the likely chagrin of his legal team.) Hopefully, the prosecutors on his case aren’t Troy Ave fans and stay far, far away from this record.
Lol, Troy Average fans are gonna be mad at this rating.
You called it! They stanning out over this wack azz album….
The writers over @ HiphopDouchebag continue to amaze and astound me with their hypocrisy and poor retention for music as a whole. So quick to judge poor Troy but in the same breath promote his murderous music. Ronald Collins is an album in which Troy Ave struggles to maintain his innocence while keeping his music thuggish for his most hardcore fans. That’s not easy to balance I’m sure. In my opinion, Ronald is turning into a fine mature grown man, albeit slowly. Nobody ever complains when Boot Camp Click or the Lox talk about guns at 40 years old, so what is this writer even talking about? Ronald Collins is a great album from the perspective of a man trying to do the right thing by showing his listeners that there’s better way to live while remaining true to himself. 5/5
O by the way, this is the last time I comment on this garbage website. You people don’t know shit about hip hop. You dickride drake like no tomorrow and you thirst over frank ocean’s album release date like a pack of desperate, hungry wolves. Listen to an actual hip hop album for a change and develop a taste for real music, maybe then you’ll be taken seriously! Troy Avenue is thethe wave of the future. Free Roland Collins! 5/5
Really? Troy Ave? Hip Hop wave of the future? you my friend don’t know shit
nigga, you called him ronald 4 times in your first post. you sucking so much dick you can’t even get the man’s name right, that’s also the name of his album. smh
I really like Troy Ave’s music and I feel like he has his own style. I like that he brings that NY flavor and has good lines to go with it. As a person, he can be more humble but I can see the effort. I personally like this project and how he gives the listener a visual of what he’s going through. I’m sure it is not easy being in his position so I would never talk down on him because sometimes we are just on the outside looking in. I hope things get better for him and he keeps coming with this good music.
Who ever reviews the albums for dx always be wildin. This shit was a 4 the least a 3. Some bangers on here. I do agree he should watch what he says in tracks for right now atleast
I would rather listen to Drake while getting my balls shaved by a sexy black midget
Troy a beast. Show some respect. If you can’t relate that’s fine but this the hardest shit out atm.
Fuck who ever gave this a shitty rating ,and get them fools out the office if they can’t relate to the street element that created the genre of rap/hiphop …. hiphop ain’t start in the burbs…. now we got all these softies dictating whats hot and whats not, and y’all can’t relate to the street shit ,cuz y’all ain’t lived thru the hood experience ,or the struggle the system put on us…yes us…it started with us and it will end with us…not you soft corporate guys who stole hiphop like Africa and get rich exploiting and embarrassing the essence of what you now possess…an attempt at sounding hard…you wrote that cuz you aint us at the end of the day… its like a do rag ..it wasn’t made for you…can you get waves??? no cuz you wasn’t apart of the slave trade….is country music made for us in the hood? no!!!! y’all fucked rap up with this blog shit…. in the hood guys grow to be credible… can we atlas get some credible STREET hiphop journalist!!!!! i don’t rap to suckers (jay z voice) he was speak for us all.. too YOU all …..
Yep, I definitely called it. Troy Ave stans typing essays up in here because of the rating, haha!
LOVE IT
this album is Fire …for dealers only
Wost Reviewer ever, i can tell this guy is a Joey Fakeass fan, go die somewhere stop fucking with people’s real music
garbage, trash, etc.