Very interesting marketing ploy by LRG to get involved in the mixtape game. Aside from having the LRG name associated with the Robinhood Ree project they also have a lot of product placement from the beginning to the end of the mixtape. Big Remo rhymes about LRG’s clothing at some point on about every song on this twenty-two track mixtape. That shows that he is either A) on LRG’s payroll or B) talented for working irrelevant subject matter into the verses. EIther way, it is safe to assume he’s getting free LRG for life and maybe even a some kind of stake in ownership.
Side note#1: if you ever see the three words “9th Wonder Present(s)” it’s not safe to assume it’s a project with strictly 9th Wonder production (wording is a little misleading) Instead most of the production will come from his very capable group of protégés called the “Soul Council,” and 9th will be found on the boards a few times here and there.
Robinhood Ree peaks at the beginning with tracks like “One for Fam,” “Baby Mama House,” and the title track, “Robinhood Ree.” The title track is arguably the strongest song on the mixtape. “Robinhood Ree” is a about Big Remo’s role in his hometown of Winton-Salem, NC as the Robinhood of the streets. On this track he specifically talks about how he gives back to those in his neighborhood who haven’t had the same opportunities as he has. You could say Big Remo takes from the rich and gives to the poor in his own fashion. To further add to the Robinhood storyline, the beat by 9th Wonder is actually sampled from a clip of the 2010 Re-make of the film, Robin Hood staring Russell Crowe (http://bit.ly/i7vCUg), an unlikely sample for a hip hop record.
Towards the middle of this 22-track project, there are a couple slower tempo/paced songs, some of which ultimately may have been scratched from the track list if Big Remo wasn’t giving this tape out for free (“Black Jedi, Let it Ride”). The existence of these is probably a good thing, however. It shows he’s got the ability to switch up his style. The album swings back upward towards the end with tracks like “Spark Somthin,” “Cipher Kid Remix (ft. Rapsody),” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”
In conclusion, Big Remo is doing exactly what every artist and producer under 9th Wonder’s Jamla stamp seems to be doing lately: killing’ it. They all seem to have chemistry together across the board. The guest appearances from label-mates Rapsody, Skyzoo, Tyler Woods, Laws, and the Away Team just seem to blend perfectly with Big Remo- A Bun B or Phonte guest spot never hurt anyone either. All lovers of hip hop should pay attention to the music coming from both Big Remo and his label-mates over at Jamla/IWWMG. Big Remo’s Robinhood Ree isn’t a bad place to start if you’re unfamiliar... and if you are, it’s a damn good listen.
Download Robinhood Ree for free here: http://bit.ly/enU2r9
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