Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1

Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
Mixtape by Rich Gang
Released September 29, 2014
Recorded 2014
Genre Hip hop
Length 1:24:03
Label Cash Money Records
Producer Birdman (exec.) London on da Track (exec.), Young Thug (exec.), Rich Homie Quan (exec.), BWheezy, Planet9, Isaac Flame, Goose, Dun Deal, Erv, Mike Will Made It, Sonny Digital
Rich Gang chronology

Rich Gang
(2013)		 Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)
Young Thug chronology
1017 Thug 3 - The Finale
(2014)		 Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)		 Barter 6 (2015)
Rich Homie Quan chronology
I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In
(2013)		 Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)		 If You Ever Think I Will Stop Goin' In Ask Double R
(2015)
Singles from Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
  1. "Tell Em (Lies)"
    Released: September 29, 2014
  2. "Imma Ride"
    Released: September 29, 2014
  3. "Freestyle"
    Released: October 17, 2014
  4. "Soldier"
    Released: October 17, 2014
  5. "Milk Marie"
    Released: October 27, 2014
  6. "Flava"
    Released: October 30, 2014
  7. "Givenchy"
    Released: February 1, 2015

Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 is a mixtape by Birdman, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan as Rich Gang released on September 29, 2014. It features production by London on da Track, Issac Flame, and Goose, among others, and guest appearances by Nipsey Hussle, PeeWee Longway, Jacquees, Yung Ralph, Bloody Jay, MPA Duke, and MPA Wicced. The mixtape was supported by seven promotional singles, Tell Em (Lies), Imma Ride, Freestyle, Soldier, Milk Marie, Flava, and Givenchy.

Background

On March 11, 2014, Young Thug & Rich Homie Quan announced a joint EP to be released in the near future. Rich Homie Quan said that his work with Young Thug is the "best collabo since OutKast."[1] He also stated that he can't say when the release date of the project will be, but that it'll "crash the Internet" upon its release. Previously announced as a Richtape (mixtape), Rich Homie Quan went on to say it may very well be an EP, citing that the two have given away enough free music.[2] On July 10, 2014, in an interview with XXL Rich Homie Quan announced that he was helping with the Rich Gang project. On September 23, 2014, Birdman boasted Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan's impact in an interview with MTV News saying, "They were already working on a project, them two, and I said, 'Let's do it together. Let me take it to the next level for y'all, 'cause I see y'all got the potential and the talent.' I just thought by them being together, it would be a stronger impact and then they still can do their solo things."[3]

Promotional singles

On September 29, 2014, videos for the first and second promotional singles "Tell Em (Lies)" featuring Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan and "Imma Ride" featuring Birdman, Young Thug and Yung Ralph was released ahead of the mixtape.[4] In "Tell Em (Lies)", Birdman, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan are rolling around the city rapping about their infatuation for a certain type of women while flaunting their flashy cars and jewelry and in "Imma Ride", Birdman, Young Thug, and Yung Ralph are seen performing, riding around, chilling and smoking with the boys.

On October 17, 2014, videos for "Freestyle" featuring Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug and "Soldier" featuring Jacquees and Rich Homie Quan was released as the third and fourth promotional singles. In "Freestyle", Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug, and Birdman live it up in a luxurious mansion while others enjoy the lavish lifestyle of the party going on around them and the Atlanta singer Jacquees bounces off the screen with his impressive choreography while taking a dangerous joyride with his soldier through the city in the visual for "Soldier". The song and video which features an appearance from Rich Homie Quan shows the versatility of Birdman's new roster.[5][6][7]

On October 27, 2014, Rich Gang premiered the video for the fifth promotional single, "Milk Marie" featuring Rich Homie Quan on 106 & Park. In the video Rich Homie Quan gets real close and cozy with his female co-star while rapping along to the elegant trap cut.[8]

On October 30, 2014, Rich Gang released a video for the sixth promotional single "Flava" featuring Young Thug, Birdman, and Rich Homie Quan. The video shows Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, and Birdman posing and stunting for the cameras during an extravagant photo shoot. Juvenile, who recently re-signed to Cash Money, and Jacquees, who recently signed to Cash Money makes an appearance in the video, also.[9]

On February 1, 2015, Rich Gang dropped a visual for the intro track on the mixtape, "Givenchy" featuring Birdman and Young Thug as the seventh promotional single. The video starts off with Birdman talking in a room lit with an extravagant chandelier. As the visual continues, Young Thug raps while tip-toeing on marble floors in designer gear while Birdman sits by the wayside effortlessly showing off what has to be $1 million in jewels.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Complex
HipHopDX
Exclaim! 8/10
Rolling Stone
Pitchfork Media 8.0/10
XXL

Upon its release, Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 was met with acclaimed reviews from music critics. Complex described it as one of the year's best full-length records full stop, a consistently impactful rap record destined to be an indelible artifact of 2014.[11] HipHopDX called it a trap-love-fest that hypnotizes you for its entirety.[12] According to Rolling Stone, hearing Young Thug stretch his voice like pure nonsense in wheezy, joyful yelps with Rich Homie Quan's cold-soul verses and hooks to give the tape weight and substance, and Birdman's golden-toilet arrogance glazing in all absurd luxury makes a ridiculously fun mixtape.[13] Complex also praised the production on the tape, saying that the best songs belong to London on da Track, who works a sparse atmosphere of smooth, softened pianos and empty space, further enhancing the feeling that you witness.[14] Exclaim! said it is the best rap mixtape of 2014 and Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan are the kings of the new school.[15] On Stereogum's Best Albums of 2014, Tha Tour was listed at #21.[16]

Track listing

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Givenchy[17]" (Young Thug and Birdman)Dun Deal 5:00
2. "War Ready" (Rich Homie Quan)Isaac Flame 3:54
3. "I Know It" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Isaac Flame 4:05
4. "See You" (Young Thug)Isaac Flame 4:19
5. "Beat It Up" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Goose 4:02
6. "Flava" (Young Thug, Birdman and Rich Homie Quan)Dun Deal, London on da Track, Isaac Flame, Goose 5:51
7. "730" (Young Thug)London on da Track 4:07
8. "Hate I" (Rich Homie Quan)Goose 2:13
9. "Tell Em (Lies)" (Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan)London on da Track 4:04
10. "I Got" (Young Thug featuring Peewee Longway)Mike Will Made It 4:33
11. "Milk Marie" (Rich Homie Quan)BWheezy 3:14
12. "Imma Ride" (Birdman and Young Thug featuring Yung Ralph)London on da Track 4:47
13. "Everything I Got" (Rich Homie Quan)Goose 4:11
14. "Keep It Goin" (Young Thug)London on da Track 4:23
15. "Bullet" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Goose 4:02
16. "Freestyle" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Dun Deal, Issac Flame, Goose 3:43
17. "Throw Your Hood Up" (Young Thug featuring Nipsey Hussle and Bloody Jay)Sonny Digital 5:33
18. "Soldier" (Rich Homie Quan featuring Jacquees)Erv 4:13
19. "Pull Up" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Dun Deal, Issac Flame, Goose 3:57
20. "Who's On Top" (Young Thug featuring MPA Duke and MPA Wicced)Planet9 3:52

References

  1. ↑ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.27859/title.rich-homie-quan-calls-his-collaborative-efforts-with-young-thug-the-best-collabo-since-outkast-
  2. ↑ http://thesource.com/2014/03/11/young-thug-rich-homie-quan-announce-joint-ep/
  3. ↑ http://www.mtv.com/news/1941020/young-thug-rich-homie-quan-birdman-strong-impact/
  4. ↑ http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/rich-gang-feat-young-ralph-riding-video-new-video.31097.html
  5. ↑ http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh5m12aX5q0hw3FEkY
  6. ↑ http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh61p49QFF68sBmT6D
  7. ↑ http://www.complex.com/music/2015/01/jacquees-rich-homie-quan-solider-video
  8. ↑ http://www.bet.com/video/106andpark/106guestrewind/rich-gang-106-and-park-3530-s1.html
  9. ↑ http://www.complex.com/music/2014/10/rich-gang-flavae-video
  10. ↑ http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/new-music/2015/02/watch-rich-gangs-givenchy-video/
  11. ↑ http://www.complex.com/music/2014/10/rich-gang-mixtape-review
  12. ↑ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.2352/title.rich-gang-tha-tour-pt-1-mixtape-
  13. ↑ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/young-thug-rich-homie-quan-and-birdman-rich-gang-tha-tour-part-1-20141021
  14. ↑ http://www.complex.com/music/2014/10/rich-gang-mixtape-review
  15. ↑ http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HipHop/rich_gang-tha_tour_part_1
  16. ↑ http://www.stereogum.com/1721100/the-50-best-albums-of-2014/list/
  17. ↑ http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/30095/young-thug-rich-homie-quan-birdman-rich-gang-the-tour-part-1.html