Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 03/18/2008
Before dropping
Self-Made,
Rocko spent years in the background, writing and producing hits for others while developing the careers of
Sammy Sam and
Young Dro. After shopping around the demo of his solo single
"Umma Do Me," he was snapped up by
Def Jam in a swift -- maybe a little shortsighted -- manner.
"Umma" is a hook-filled monster with just the right amount of cocky attitude bumping against a royal
Drumma Boy production. It sounds great at a party, a club, on the radio, or any other place where it's the chorus that matters. That
Rocko's style is an unoriginal mix of
Young Jeezy,
T.I., and
Shawty Lo didn't matter much as the four-minute jam climbed the charts, but when he creates anything less than
"Umma," it's detrimental. Past the hit,
Self-Made's first half is plagued by empty, everyday party numbers, the most shameless of them all being
"Old Skool," where
"Umma"'s mediocre line "My ol' school cost more than your new school" is blown up into a full song. Fortunately, things pick up once the convincing club track
"Like This Here" hits. The story-song
"Snakes" is interesting as a Dirty South alternative to
R. Kelly's
"Trapped in the Closet," while the hood fantasy
"Thugs Need Love Too" features some steamy
Monica and
Rocko interaction, which shouldn't be too surprising since they're a married couple in real life. As evidenced by the guest appearances of
Monica, and even
Lloyd,
Self-Made would be much better if it gave some more of
Rocko's high-profile friends an opportunity to put some flavor on the tracks. Instead, it stubbornly tries to present him as an all-around artist and limits its appeal to forgiving Dirty South fans who don't mind fishing for highlights.
~David Jeffries, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 1
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A reviewer
from Birmingham, AL
5 Star Album!
Self Made is a very solid album. Rocko brings it in this debut album. Whether you are bumping it in the whip, or jogging with the ipod, you cant go wrong with this album. Each track tells the story of the everyday struggles of the hustle, and also its many benefits. Rocko blesses your ears with his flow, and the producers on this album bring high quality beats and tempos to an overall great equation...
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