Written by Andrew AG Barnett
Pontiac, Michigan’s own Ro Spit’s new album, “IV Life”, is laced with polished rap flows and clever lines that would make even Jay-Z smirk. Ro Spit shows off his technical rapping skills all over this project, but more importantly he shows the ability to craft songs. His creativity and skill backed with great production work together to create a good result.
The album’s intro “Triumph” is perfect and features Raheem Devaughn who really drives the emotion of the record. This intro sets off the album as Ro spits witty, but meaningful quotables that are only elevated once Devaughn starts singing. This trend of cl;ever wordplay continues throughout the album. You don’t have to ever have a conversation with Ro to know he puts a lot of thought into his rhymes.
The album’s production is very impressive. Rappers with the amount of pure skill that Ro have sometimes seem to lack in the production department, but that’s not the case here. The beats fit and flow smoothly from song to song, and instead of overshadowing Ro’s lyrics, the beats and words work together like magic; this is a credit to Ro’s artistry.
This album has a lot of bright spots. The only song that kind of throws off the album is “Slow Stir” which is kind of lazy effort, but all in all this album is a super solid project. Sometimes i hear Ro giving me a kind of Jay-Z feel.(See “Right Here”) His features are used effectively, and he holds his own with lyrical heavyweights like Royce Da 5’9” and Bun B. “IV Life” is definitely worth the listen and you might just become a fan.
Lyrics: 8.5/10
Production: 8/10
Cohesiveness: 7.5/10
Replay Value: 7/10
Overall: 8/10
Standout tracks: “Triumph,” “Glorious,” “Forbidden,” “Self-Titled(Who Got It?)”