Rich Quick :: Sad Songz EP :: Ben Frank Recordings
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon
It would be fair to say Rich Quick's name is chosen with a wry
sense of humor - he's likely to get anything but. That's not for lack
of talent - in fact he's already made a name for himself with well
received mixtapes like the DJ NoPhrillz and Benja Styles hosted
"I'm With the DJ." It's more likely to be a factor of his refusal to
compromise and make the kind of music that would take him
mainstream. Lightning does occasionally strike and artists like
Macklemore reach the
national and international "household name" status, but if you sit
around waiting for lightning to strike the rent goes unpaid and
your gas and water gets shut off. Then again if your rap name was
Metriculating Money Slowly, you probably wouldn't get paid
any time or attention let alone ducats. That's just how hip-hop is.
Even by the conventions of being unconventional though, Rich
Quick is taking a quick risk with the brief but impactful "Sad Songz"
EP. Emcees often don't want to get in touch with their emotions,
unless that emotion is righteous anger at perceived injustices, and
that can be anything from a sucker MC dissing to a cop's racial
profiling. Rich Quick is definitely going to stand out with "Songz"
like "Cry" though, which sounds to my ear like a screwed and
chopped version of Crowded House's pop hit "Don't Say It's Over"
from the mid-1980's. It's probably a coincidence, but what's not
is that both songs have a big dramatic musical sweep that
echoes behind the lyrics. Quick is not your posturing macho emcee,
and he addresses the listener as though they're his therapist and
he's sitting on the couch:
"I was the most selfish man in the world, and
she was my girlfriend - imagine that! Cause I can never have it back
My habitat a whirlwind; no tellin' when the world end
and spirit begin or what city I'll meet a girl in
She grilled me e'ry second 'bout goin' out, when I'se just tryin to make it
She was showin out, I swear - she bought this crown I wear
I clowned guys stared at her when I'se around I cared none
She was a rare one, I felt some'n and now we well done"
It's easy to dig this song on multiple levels. The production of
STREECE (Stress the White Boy and Chuck Treece) is as mentioned
ambient and moody, and Rich has a naturally likeable flow that's
reminiscent of Macklemore - he's talking about topics that make
sense for him in a conversational and unpretentious way. The
cleverness Quick shows puts him over the top, as the whole cooking
meat metaphor of relationships ("rare" and "well done") can go by
without being noticed, yet adds an extra layer of depth to his words
when you catch it. The honesty Quick shows is another plus, as
on the song "Traveling Man," where he admits his wanderlust might
be his own worst enemy when it comes to a committed relationship.
In only 18:40 you can only draw so many conclusions about the
Philadelphia by way of Woodbury stylings of Rich Quick, but you
can also say that he maximizes his time by not making mistakes.
The jazzy and upbeat "Say You Love Me" is the right combination
of plaintive begging and cocksure macking. "Lonely" may be the
result of that macking backfiring, but the sped up sample and
uptempo rap are a win. The Carribean sounding percussion of
"Nice Guy" and Rich's winning personality are stripped down to
almost the essence, but adding more to it would only muddy it up.
I find it difficult to offer high praise to short albums because I
always think over the long haul a rapper's true strengths or
weaknesses come through more clearly, but for only five songs
to go on Rich Quick has impressed me enough to want more.
Music Vibes: 8 of 10
Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10
![[Sad Songz EP]](../coverart/richquick-Sad.jpg)
It would be fair to say Rich Quick's name is chosen with a wry
sense of humor - he's likely to get anything but. That's not for lack
of talent - in fact he's already made a name for himself with well
received mixtapes like the DJ NoPhrillz and Benja Styles hosted
"I'm With the DJ." It's more likely to be a factor of his refusal to
compromise and make the kind of music that would take him
mainstream. Lightning does occasionally strike and artists like
Macklemore reach the
national and international "household name" status, but if you sit
around waiting for lightning to strike the rent goes unpaid and
your gas and water gets shut off. Then again if your rap name was
Metriculating Money Slowly, you probably wouldn't get paid
any time or attention let alone ducats. That's just how hip-hop is.