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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite the new Rubberband Man, but he may get there., January 13, 2007
Let's get this out of the way; I believe Young Dro is unfairly criticized by most hip-hop heads. When it comes to Southern emcees, Dro is solid; not spectacular, but he is solid as we speak, and this is merely his debut album. He's far better than some of his Southern contemporaries, such as Yung Joc and Rick Ross, and does show glimpses of genuine wit on this album; while his subject matter throughout is clearly the result of cliches, he manages to make these rather mundane issues, and at the very least, approach them in a new way. He's not nearly as lyrically dexterious as his mentor, T.I., and I honestly doubt he'll ever be quite as good as Tip; but, he clearly learnt a lot under his tutelage. When it comes to emcees putting on their friends, Dro is far from the worst of the bunch; his potential is far superior to, say, a Lil' Cease, or a Tony Yayo. He could've released an abortion of an album, and still moved units with the Grand Hustle imprint, but thankfully, T.I. knew what he was doing when he chose Dro as his protege.
Now, I'm not saying Dro is the best thing since sliced bread, or, "The Best Thang Smokin'," because he clearly isn't. However, the people that compare his skills to the likes of a Jim Jones are clearly hating. His rhymes, for an emcee of his status, show some clever similies; Dro's obsession with colors has been noted multiple times in the past, but it's still a pretty refreshing trait, that Dro's thrown in there to help set himself away from the pack. His flow, while not nearly as intoxicating as Tip's, is still pretty polished for a rookie emcee; his diction is clear, his breath control is above-average, and his Southern drawl is pleasing to the ears. His subject matter isn't too crippled; afterall, he's virtually rapping about the same things Tip usually does. It maybe all about rubberbands, candy paint, and hoes for Dro, but that's the average commercial emcee for you; it's how an emcee presents themselves that determines their quality, and Dro displays more than enough promise on this album to insure that he'll be releasing quite a few more LP's throughout his tenure in the music industry.
Production is mostly handled by Lil' C and Khao; mostly, Lil' C. Though he's an unheard of producer(he's part of the Grand Hustle producing staff, yet this is his first big challenge), he provides many dope backing tracks on this album, even if the majority of his work consists of club bangers. Guest appearances are surprisingly sparse; the only two emcees that show up are mentor T.I., and Da Baws Ov Da Nawth, Slim Thug, and as expected, those two individuals deliver on their spots. Although T.I.'s King. incorporated many different styles of music on it, and showed influences from all coasts, Best Thang Smokin' is strictly Southern funk. There's no snap music to be found on here; just pure bass heavy trunk-rattlers to get the blood pumping.
Young Dro isn't the Best Thang Smokin', but within time, he will most certainly come into his own. Some folks maybe dissapointed that he's not as talented as Tip, but honestly, there aren't many emcees in the mainstream today who can touch T.I. in terms of quality music. T.I. could've done much worse; after all, he could've recruited a Fabo from D4L, or a D-Roc from the Ying Yang Twins, and poised them for stardom; but he decided to put on one of his homeboys, who IS talented. Young Dro finds himself in the same position T.I. was in on I'm Serious; he's got an abundance of confidence, and all the potential in the world. Now, it's just time for him to live up to that potential, match his confidence with skills. Give him time, and while you're waiting, don't be afraid to check out the Best Thang Smokin'; a decent release, from a rapper who is certain to improve.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For A Fresh Start This Album Rock's........., September 15, 2006
T.I. foresaw his future. He knew he would ascend to kingship in the South. When he achieved a comfortable status in Southern hierarchy, he knew he would have the ability and influence to put his brethren on, his fellow Grand Hustle members. The time has come and his protégé Young Dro now has to stand on his own two and will attempt to do so with his debut album, 'Best Thang Smokin'.
Young Dro's built his buzz off one song, his lead-off track. Young Dro's lead-off single "Shoulder Lean" combines bass infused Southern bounce with witty one-liners. Dro displays some lyrical prowess riding the beat correctly and stating memorable quotables like "I take breath/the opposite of Primatene Mist." With aid from T.I. on the chorus, "Shoulder Lean" has club banger written all over it and its success on mainstream video shows co-signs that fact.
Dro uses "They Don't Really Know Bout Dro" to introduce himself on the album. Providing more than his share of references to candy-coated paint, big rims, expensive cars--you know the usual rapper references-- but Dro sells him self short by showing signs of cleverness but keeping it monotonous with shallow subject content. On the flipside, the production quakes your speakers with bass, percussion and brass. Speaking of production, Jazze Pha steps in to assist with "U Don't See Me" which also features Slim Thug. Dro does a fine service to the beat picking a good pocket to fit in on the track and a few lines like "I walk out the airport and only bad hoes pursuing me/I pimp fluently they chase me like a truancy..." while Slim Thug's towering presence contributes to making this a successful effort.
The songs that give depth to Young Dro are few and far between but include "We Lied" and "Hear Me Cry." "We Lied" tells the tales of a man in a disgruntled relationship that was created through dishonesty by both partners. The track puts aside that gangsta bravado briefly to deal with love while the track "Hear Me Cry" tells of close ones lost and Dro's experiences with his hard life. These songs help provide versatility to an album that is full of subject content that lacks depth: cars, drugs and gun talk.
The 'Best Thang Smokin' is a good introductory album. Young Dro has a lot of raw potential but just needs to expand more pertaining to subject content. The album is well-produced, provides a number of moods to it but keeps the Southern feel consistently throughout--with more than a couple tracks from Jazze Pha. Lyrically, Dro shows sharpness at times but once again is stifled by his limited subject matter. This is a good listen in your car, in the club, through some booming speakers, but if you're looking for something that'll make you think this won't hit it for you.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Average thang smokin', October 10, 2007
Young Dro is another example of how a rapper can have his song all over the radio (in this case, "Shoulder Lean"), yet nobody picks up the album. And while Best Thang Smokin' is far from being a waste of time, it's not really anything to write home about either.
The main problem here is that Dro's subject matter tends to get repetitive. Most songs have him talking about either his Impala or his Cartier watch (or, occasionally, the movie Lean on Me). And I was surprised that the album wasn't one big sex fest considering the album cover looks like it was made with a Luke template. Speaking of that, sexual songs don't work out very well, like the hidden track "She Tired of Me". But worse is "My Girl", which uninterestingly talks about threesomes due to his girl being bisexual.
Things are also okay when Dro changes the subject, like on the obligatory hard-times-growin'-up song "Hear Me Cry". It's not that he can't spit, but he just doesn't do enough to hold the listener's attention (in fact, while I was listening to this, I was so bored that I started cleaning my room). And he definitely isn't quite as exciting as his mentor, T.I. Best Thang Smokin' is still fine to bump in your ride, but if you want more substance, look for something else.
Anthony Rupert
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by Young Dro 
