Rich The Kid, The World is Yours 2 | Album Review 💿

Rich the Kid returns with his sophomore album, World is Yours 2 which is jam-packed with A-list guests, bangers, and very little substance.

Southern rapper Rich the Kid returns with his sophomore album, World is Yours 2, one year after releasing his debut LP. World is Yours, released in 2018, had its share of moments, including “New Freezer” and the purported Lil Uzi Vert diss track, “Dead Friends”.  Even with gems on his hands, The World is Yours didn’t really distinguish Rich as truly distinct rapper.  He falls into the same trap on The World is Yours 2 but also manages to have some great bangers in the process.

“Slide” 

Rich The Kid kicks off The World is Yours 2 with “World is Yours 2 – Intro.”  The two-minute-plus interlude sets the tone for the album, finding Rich rapping his usual, distinct, sometimes indecipherable style.  Basically, this is a flex fest, something that recurs consistently throughout his sophomore album. ✓ “Slide” arrives as the first true full-length record, even if it falls short of the three-minute mark.  Like the opening intro, “Slide” features solid, banging production work, firmly planted in the trap. Interestingly, “Slide” is comprised of only one verse, which appears between two choruses. Ultimately, it’s effective, but Rich is by no means transcendent. 

✓ “Splashin” is a surefire bop, eclipsing the respectable “Slide.” Of course, both songs are shallow AF.  Here, Rich The Kid focuses on two key things: his drip and bitches (“Bitches wanna fuck, I got them lined up / … Pull out my dick tell her kiss that”).  Yeah, that’s shallow alright, but give Frank Dukes and Lab Cook credit for the awesome backdrop.  Also, in regard to the form, it is more traditional, with two verses as opposed to merely one.  “Fall Threw” marks the first collaboration of the album, featuring assists from Young Thug and another quickly ascending rapper, Gunna. The modus operandi is much the same – rhymes that focus on dripping hard and good sex, rapped over a sleek backdrop.

“Save That” 

Once more, Rich The Kid goes solo once again on the brief “Save That,” which features an annoying recurrent flute sound.  The rapper doesn’t expand his script (shocker), focusing mostly on money, but also highlighting the “big fact” that he “can’t save a ho.” Rappers have been saying it for years.  Big Sean and Offset join him on “Two Cups,” which features banging production courtesy of T-Minus.  Interestingly, all three verses (Offset, Rich, and Sean) occur consecutively, with the chorus (Offset) appearing prior and after.  By my estimations, Big Sean wins awards for the best verse.

“Fuck a handout, I was trappin’ ‘til the lights out / The right route, now I’m rich, I brought the ice out.” Another brief solo joint follows with the smooth “Racks Today” where Rich The Kid keeps the formula the same.  Again, he’s joined by friends on “Woah,” specifically Miguel and Ty Dolla $ign.  Both musicians help give the album an urban contemporary-driven, sex track.  Miguel sounds fabulous on the memorable chorus, while Ty Dolla $ign delivers the goods with his distinct instrument on the second verse. Ty’s melodic verse nicely contrasts Rich’s, who remained firmly planted in rap.

“Tic Toc”

“Tick, tock, nigga, big Glocks / We got big shots, we do wig shots / I do headshots, they do red dots /Bitch, I’m red hot, make yo bed rock.” ✓ “Tic Toc” = banger.  If nothing else, Rich the Kid, assisted by Tory Lanez checks of all the boxes that qualify a record as a banger.  The production fuels both artists fire. Tory Lanez sings an exuberant, confident, and edgy hook (aforementioned) that sets the tone. He later gets another moment to shine – well, objectify – on the second verse (“She a thottie with a body and I like the bitch”).  That’s not before Rich raps, continuing to focus on sex, money, and violence.  He’s predominately concerned about pleasure (“She suckin’ the dick so good does she put her teeth out?”).  If bangers sans substance is your thing, then “Tic Toc” should totally tickle your fancy.

Following up “Tic Toc” is an arduous task. While “Wrong Thing” doesn’t eclipse by any means, the two-and-half-minute joint, assisted by NAV is inoffensive, with a catchy-enough chorus. ✓ “4 Phones” stands out more, with Rich the Kid once more backed by a super-smooth backdrop, anchored by a trap beat. He remains an acquired taste, with his distinct voice, overall flow, and his pronunciation, but it works out well enough. There’s toughness and plenty of swagger and flexing, even if the execution isn’t characterized by finesse per se. Thematically, ‘the drip’ remains king. Follow-up “Rockets” pairs Rich The Kid with Takeoff and Lil Pump, marking only the fourth song on The World is Yours 2 that extends beyond three minutes.  Is it worth the extra time? Meh, it’s okay but not life- or game-changing.

“Like Mike” 

Following “Rockets,” the remaining quartet of songs from The World is Yours 2 fail to reach the three-minute mark. On “Like Mike” (2:42) Rich The Kid taps Jay Critch (chorus) and A Boogie wit da Hoodie (second verse). Hoodie’s lyric “Put my dick in her tonsil, make her throw up” should speak to just how deep “Like Mike” goes… Hmm.  The second ‘racks’ song arrives with “Racks Out,” not to be confused with the earlier “Racks Today.” Again, if you’re expecting depth and profundity from Rich at this point, you’ll be deeply disappointed.

Vory appears, rather, dominates, ✓ “Ring Ring,” a rare love-centric moment from The World is Yours 2. Vory manages to perform the intro, first verse, and the chorus, leaving only the second verse for Rich The Kid.  What does Rich do with his only verse? Well, drenched in autotuned, he professes his dedication and his love – “One call, ring-ring, yeah / Wouldn’t trade you for the world, that’s what you mean, yeah.” “Ring Ring” is arguably the crème de la crème of the fourth quarter of The World is Yours 2.  YoungBoy Never Broke Again (NBA YoungBoy) becomes the final featured guest on piano-filled closer, “For Keeps.”

Final Thoughts 

So, how does The World is Yours 2 stack up? To his credit, Rich The Kid delivers some respectable bangers, such as “Splashin,” “Tic Toc,” and of course, “4 Phones.” If you enjoy rap bangers, particularly in the modern vein of trap, well, this album might be ‘right up your alley.’  That said, the main rub with this sophomore project from Rich is the fact that it is more superficial as opposed to deep, profound, or transcendent.  Even with its good moments, nothing here suggests we’ll be talking about the project beyond 2019.  That is the next step that Rich has to take in his career – finding that timeless, transcendent piece to the puzzle.

✓ Gems: “Slide,” “Splashin,” “Tic Toc,” “4 Phones” & “Ring Ring”

Rich The Kid • The World is Yours 2 • Interscope • Release: 3.22.19

Photo Credit: Interscope