Rich Boy

Though the unusually temperate weather of December 2006 had many worrying about the consequences of global warming, the unseasonably sunny skies provided the perfect context for the success of Rich Boy’s anthemic “Throw Some D’s”, a track whose mellow synth-laced beat and relaxed cadences evoke celebratory summer barbecues and muggy Alabama afternoons. The Mobile born Rich Boy has been quick to build on the success of “Throw Some D’s”, releasing his glossy, unapologetically joyful debut in the spring of ’07. He possesses a studied, chameleon like flow and is equally capable of delivering his simple but clever lyrics in a countrified drawl, a hardheaded bark, or, perhaps unfortunately, a come hither croon. Despite Rich Boy’s enviable versatility this album truly belongs to veteran Atlanta producer Polow Da Don, who has been perfecting his shimmering, extroverted sound for over a decade now. Whenever Rich Boy’s delivery falters, as on the irritatingly smug “Touch That Ass”, Polow swoops in to save the day with his genre smashing beat wizardry. Polow has made a potentially mediocre album into a smilingly hedonistic exploration of the sounds of summer.