We Are Young Money

Album Review

On their underground mixtapes, Young Money sounded more like a crew than a group, with each member taking solo tracks and occasionally trading rhymes with team leader/labelhead, Lil Wayne. On their aboveground debut, We Are Young Money, each cut is a revolving door with members Drake, Nicki Minaj, Mack Maine, Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz, and Tyga dropping in and out of this almost group. Think Ludacris’ Disturbing tha Peace releases, but with forward-thinking Cash Money beats. Add plenty of weird, Wayne-inspired punch lines from the crew and you’ve got a guaranteed recommendation for the Cash Money faithful, a fervent group who will also appreciate how some tracks are more freeform than usual (“Ms. Parker”) while others sound unedited with extended outros (“Pass the Dutch”). At worst, these cuts are risk-taking misses that remain interesting — the best example being the rock & roll-meets-sci-fi “Play in My Band” which showcases member Shannell. At best, they are either groundbreaking monsters like the neo-classical “New S***” or neon-bright party numbers like “Every Girl in the World” or “Bedrock,” with special guest Lloyd. Much of the material is in between, and if you’re wondering why teen sensation Tyga is in short supply, it is because many of the songs are just too filthy for his image. Don’t bother unless you can stand a healthy helping of sleaze, because this flashy party is for adult fan club members, the ones who don’t mind Wayne the show-off or Wayne the trashy smart-aleck.