Halfway through Young Money’s Rise of an Empire, the sequel to 2009’s label comp, We Are Young Money, new signee Euro spits about dropping out of Alabama State University—“I went from roamin’ hallways with a backpack, trying to find classes”—to launch his Hip Hop career in “Induction Speech.” The Providence, Rhode Island rapper puts his influences front-and-center on the track, quoting Jay-Z’s 2001 hit (“Y’all could have been anywhere in the world, but you’re here with me”).
But all is not well in Wayne Manor. Where We Are Young Money portrayed the label as one big Playboy-Mansion-style party, Empire offers a gloomy portrait of a house divided. The fledgling Euro can either adapt to the dominating example set by patron saint Lil Wayne’s bonkers plasticity, or follow Cash Money CEO Birdman’s stale Rap-by-the-numbers approach. Neither seems foolproof.
The label’s former camp prefers to imagine itself in solitary confinement: In highlight “Senile,” a hypnotized Tyga and a steely Nicki Minaj pop up like mechanized horrors inside a haunted mansion. Lil Twist, 21, spits through stick-ups (“Bang”) and strip club commands (“One Time”) with the malice of a Rap Chuckie doll. Lil Wayne’s “Moment” hinges on a boast—“All I’ve been doing is celebrating, I don’t even know what I’m celebrating”—that sounds oddly affecting (He claims that he’s baked, though he croaks like he’s been bedridden for weeks). He’s not Tha Carter III-era Weezy, but the hook alone calls attention to how his co-Rappers’ scare tactics ring hollow, like Drake’s canned fanfare in “Trophies” and Minaj’s haphazard interrogation of the male gaze, “Lookin Ass.”
Rise of an Empire’s second half shows that the latter camp would rather spend their time shooting the shit, which would be charming if its players weren’t so lackluster. Birdman’s “Fresher Than Ever” is little more than a stale posse cut; longtime affiliates like Gudda Gudda and Jae Millz exchange rote status update boasts, the sort of behavior Mack Maine condemns with his own, groan-worthy “Fuck Twitter, nigga / In real life, nobody follow you.” The three show up for a curtain call on standard edition closer “You Already Know,” a pale imitation of T-Pain’s Auto-Tuned sadness. Deluxe edition conclusion “Good Day” makes for a slightly better finish, with Lil Wayne’s hook quoting Ice Cube’s “Today Was a Good Day” over Dnyc3’s bounce-meets-Pong beat.
So, where does Euro fit in? He joins Lil Twist and Bronx signee Cory Gunz in “Bang,” but only after paying respect to Young Money while kicking off intro track “We Alright,” also featuring Weezy and Birdman. “I’m fine, I be spending time with the greatest of all time, all the time / And ever since I’m living life every night like it’s ‘99 / I’m way ahead of my time, I think I was only eight at the time / I rep them five letters forever,” Euro boasts, with all the earnestness of a straight-A student. He should listen to Rise of an Empire more closely, though: He may be part of an empire now, but it’s looking more and more like Rome in decline.
Shit was booty cheeks.
Dudes is all washed up.
This is that real hip hop we’ve been needing. When Young Money is at its best no one is seeing them bar for bar. It’s reminiscent of The Firm at times.
Ur name us be flamer , as in Faggot..bar for bar?? Guess u never heard slaughterhouse..these corny ass homos couldnt fuck with Flatbush zombies never mind
hahaha bar for bar hahaha. dude just rhymed time with time 5 TIMES
Shit is trash.
2/5
Listened to it about 5 times and i couldn’t get in to it.
Euro is drake wanna be, cant deny the dude is dope still and Tyga has a unique flow. Not saying its not repetitive but its better then almost everyone on this album…
Aint Caskey signed to Young Money?
To sum up this review: This album is about the fall of an empire.
Lol what i was thinking too. How the writer couldn’t come up with this wordplay is a mystery to me.
I have not heard the album yet, so i cannot say whether I agree or disagree with this review. But I can say this was poorly written and rushed. I doubt the author even listened to the album more than once.
this album is fire fuck what ya heard
Bitch quit dick riding, these guys ride each other’s dicks enough. This album is complete ass along with everything these faggots have put out, so fuck off cause you’re a fake nigga
this is whack
nicki’s song is nice, album whack. what happend to ym?
They went for the money grab and dumbed down everything to reach that pre teen market. Now nobody over the age of 15 takes them serious.
wack shit
Ur name should be flamer my bad
This album is more white than Macklmeore
A pointless album. Retread beats, ABC/123 rhymes and glorified subject matter. I’d rather watch the notebook.
notebook FTW! Most rap sucks now-a-days. KRIT Yella and a few others are dull after your used to their personas. Raps about dead again.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH TRUST!
Hello guys, I’m Jake (twitter: @jake_norrie)!
Me and my boyfriend Cody just purchased this amazing sweet album. the while class loved the sound, wow! Lil Wayne is the future!
JAKE!!!!!! HIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 🙂 I LOVE YOU BABE
YES THIS IS AN AWESOME ALBUM!!!!
@HHDX: HOW IS THIS BETTER THAN BLACK MILK?
*WORSE
Still Bette r than mmlp2
your an idiot
A TRUE IDIOT
We have eminem stans here… “Momment” better than any song on MMLP2
You’re*^^^
“Momment” better than any song on MMLP2″
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Thanks for the laugh.
TERRIBLE… JUST TERRIBLE.
Looks like another flop for YMCMB. 30k-40k first week.
If it’s ain’t Drake, Wayne or Nicki it’s not going to sell, they should just get ride of all the other bums, bench warmers and dead weight they got.
HAHA AGREE.
Mayne this album fire as fuck, but of course all these websites and haters gone be like Young Money wack. GTFOH!!! Niggas don’t even be listening to the album, but because it’s YM they automatically give it a 1 or 2.
That’s because there’s no talent.
Hip Hop DX give the album a 2.18 but give Isaih Rashard – Cilvia Demo and 4.50 something… That shit sucked so much ass it was ridiculous but because he with TDE he automatically a great rapper. Rise of an Empire better than most shit that came out last year especially ScHoolboy slow boring dull ass album!!!
I hope you’re a troll because Isaiah’s Cilvia Demo was great.
Cilvia Demo was whack lyrically and musically, he treats the shit like a diary and it dont sell. Its pretty good though.
lmao ok
How does the 2nd guy says it’s whack then it’s pretty good lmao
Not a single track I liked, but at least I listened to it. Wack as hell.
This is just awful maybach music is the best label in hiphop right now imo
Stones Throw Records
^ Yup. Also, Mello Music Group and Rhymesayers
If Shady 2.0 came out with a Comp album it would be great. Yelawolf’n newest album is looking promising, hopefully slaughterhouse makes a good one too. Watch out for Shady 2.0 though.
how? they don’t move units
G.O.O.D music? 2Chainz ruled last years market and Push putting out quality music.
Drake aint fuckin with these weirdos no more. they all talentless
Eminem Presents: The Re-Up vs Young Money: Rise of an Empire. Which is better??
Hands down The Re-Up
The Re-Up, easily.
The first paragraph in this review makes no sense. You guys heard of proof-reading?
Induction Speech feat. Euro the only good track
great
I hate Nicki.
wel…
i only wanna hear the track with Cory Gunz
Fuck YMCMB
Garbage
i like it
its way to pop sounding
It’s nothing else than an usual YMCMBLOLWTFBBQ record.
I would stick it in her poop chute
Hot trash
how much longer until Drake leaves this shit label and focuses on OVO or joins a more respectable label?
wow this shit is just no…..and why Meek and Yo gotti on this bitch, not even ymcmb. Just a bunch of shelved lames
Listen to induction speech – euro, this cat can murk yo fav rapper kendick anytime bish.
Nigga, please.
this is wayne’s world and u all are just some tourist.
Looks like that world is crumbling.
euro spit fire
come on i thot time 4 dis yun money bitches was up n they was doin skateboards, they releasing an ulbum? fuck
wackness
Ha, no surprise here.
Just a big ol’ ball of wackness
How did young money get rich when all their albums get poor reviews? man america is the dumbest country in the entire world to support this crap!!! every respectable musician that ever lived and died is turning in their grave that this shit sells. we would never see a real musician make an album this bad. jay-z may not make all great albums but there are all decent at least, this man lil wayne is a joke. no one who cares about the music would make something this bad and think its ok to sell it to people for actual money. id smash this cd if it was given to me cause no one deserves to punish their ears this much
fuck you you asswhole the album is dope, just because you don;t enjoy it doesn’t mean we won’t, fuck outa here hater
How long before Drake leaves to focus on OVO?
you know what’s saddest bout YMCMB? the fact actually have a talented rapper in cory gunz sitting on a shelve!!! that guy can rap his ass off, he’s achopper with a great flow and when he puts in work, he can deliver great bars… AND THEY NEVER RELEASE HIS SHIT!
Maybe that’s Gunz fault? Maybe Gunz doesn’t give a shit about music at the moment. He does have his parents pimping themselves out for VH1.
It’s a 3/5
less lil twist, need caskey and more wayne and drake
“senile” “moment” and “induction speech” are best tracks
new signee Euro is dope
WONDER HOW MANY FAGS JUST COME HERE TO RATE IT 1 STAR JUST CUZ ITS YOUNG MONEY… BET HALF YALL DIDNT EVEN LISTEN TO IT
WONDER HOW MANY FAGS JUST COME HERE TO RATE IT 5 STAR JUST CUZ ITS YOUNG MONEY… BET HALF YALL DIDNT EVEN LISTEN TO IT
it was trash
i admit i did not listen, do not intend to and did indeed come here just to rate it 1 star. LMAO you got me
gave it a 1 after i read your comment
Welp! that about solves our issue yah n i g g a s drowning on that Haterade, probably working Security jobs or flipping burgers looking ass boi
Album was kinda short but had some good songs like “Moment” “Senile” “Trophies” “Fresher than ever” “Induction speech”
loved this album so hot and sexy yay
this was skunt
Wack
1/5
Beats are tasteless and are just as bad as the lyrics that they use throughout the entire album.
I think with this album;Cash Money will finally benifit something to Hip Hop…….It’s own demise.
Real rap isn’t about money, cars or Lookin ass niggas; I’m sorry to tell you.
Whats a lookin ass nigga, anyway?
I listened to the entire album, then immediately switched back to R.A. The Rugged Man afterwards.
shit iwouldnt have shut off r.a. for anything that features any of these “artists” i feel bad for ya eardrums bro
come on just stop
I don’t even know where to start. This album is just BAD. I really don’t get whats entertaining about Young Money. The rappers are terrible. The beats are generic. The content is ignorant and derivative. Super corny. Could anyone of “today’s generation” explain why this is good? Please.
To be honest to me this album is garbage. Young Money has proved their point once again why i would never buy their album. It’s not that I hate or demise them it’s just that the majority of their music is really mediocre especially all of them together on one album. That’s just my opinion though. 2/5
Straight Garbage. Young Money Era is over! Finally *YAY*
man i could only watch 40seconds of video, so ill base my review of the whole album off that snippet. wack ass dog shit fermenting in the Sahara for 6 months, then pissed on by every fake emcee signed to young money, then shoved in a cd case for people with horrible judgment to buy.
average but wayne and moment saved this album
Wayne didn’t save shit. The only tight song is Lookin Ass
AR shut yo bitch ass up wayne murdered that song
I like the album. I think it should have more drake and less lil twist but it is still good and it has tyga, lil wayne, gudda gudda, and euro which are all good rappers and euro made a strong debut in my opinion
Mack Maine mentioned on VladTv that they just put this album together quickly. Most of the songs are prerecorded and just put together. Individually though there are a few good songs that stood out like Trophies and We Alright, No to mention Lookin Ass from Nicki is powerful and getting alot of buzz right now. Over all, i think had they taken the time out to put some more effort and planning it would help. Its really starting to feel like Drake isnt fucking with the label as much as he used to, but with him touring right now, who can expect him to really be focusing on new music like that.
Listen to his new interview. He said everyone from the label had over 100 songs recorded, so fiding the best songs wasn’t a problem. Wow Young Money really need to stop making music. This album is really bad!
This sucked ass. YMCMB is dead, without drake and minaj they wouldn’t sell a single unit, and they both suck as well, when the hip hop world wakes up on the fact drake is a fraud, this outfit is dead.
Wack Wack Wack WACKKKKKCCKKCKCKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fall of a wack empire, just look how retarded their fans are, I’m glad this era is coming to an end.
unbelievable how wack this shit is, i listen to 4 tracks and had to skip everyone of them immediately.. Young Money, whoever you are, please kill yourself or stop making music, youve got no talent at all
1/5
C’mon bruh bruh we always know unless its a masterpiece album, its never at its best until the 3rd or 4th spin. Don’t be so quick to judge.
good
young money fans must just be a bunch of retarded little kids or some shit.
Retards making retarded music for retarded people
This album BLOWS CHUNKS lol its very pathetic and feels like Drake nor Nicki give a shit bout YM! Drake didn’t even record anything for this album..Trophies is a NWTS left-over that wasn’t eem good enuff to make the album or even as a bonus! lol Horrible Boring ass album!
LMAO, YAH SOME HATERS on these BLOGS .
honestly you check my iPod and its full of real musicians, you’ll never catch me listening to Gucci man nor some other bullshit.
THIS YOUNG MONEY ALBUM IS FIRE – my honest rating is 3.8 out of 5, which is good – yah some sleep ass fools boy.
DX rating at 2.0 is some hating ass shit
Isn’t it hilarious how YMCM fans spam fuck out of Youtube vids, Websites etc claiming how YMCM are the greatest and what not, until they release another terrible album which then gets slammed by everyone with an ounce of common sense. Then suddenly they scatter and they’re nowhere to be seen. If YMCM were actually any good like all these faggots claim, then why can’t they even sell 50k sales ? Numbers Don’t Lie, GTFO and STFU ..Peace!
The flop of an Empire
This album was solid, Euro killed. Moment was hot
lil wayne Moment killed it….and the verse in video model
You’re all pussy ass bitches the Album is dop as fuck, damn, save yourselves cause young money can’t do it for ya… Bbbrrrrrrruuuuuhhhhhhhh
whass different with what young money has done with all what other artists are doin right now? like for example my nigga by yg, trust me i have nun against yg but fir the fact we would bump suumin like dat than go on hate on this album is dumb. ym introduced explicit lyrics and and soon all the rap game followed yall just dont have back bones and shud be shot dead for that
This album wasn’t that bad, but it could have been way better. It really seems like a bunch of leftovers that the artists didn’t want to put on their albums and shit. So don’t have high expectations. Wish they would have taken the time to make this album better.
fucked young money
fucking hater you going bitches you in were ass you only fuck it were killing bitchers did’nt you now eminem 50cetn young buck llodybank$ you fuckin were sing bitch
fuck lilwayne
This is the whackest fucking label EVER. Bunch of dick sucking faggots who spit complete SHIT! It pisses me off how these whack ass rappers get more exposure than some of the greatest of all time like Nas and Wu-Tang Clan. Unfuckingbelievable
worst album ever omg i listened to it for 4 min skipping every track just sucks ,YM 2004-2009 was hot this rubbish