Authentic Orgasms

Rick Ross featuring The-Dream “All I Really Want”

I have no previous investment in Rick Ross, and I do not care at all about the various embarrassing scandals exposing his ridiculous attempts at seeming like an authentic gangster despite his past in law enforcement. Honestly, I think that anyone who needs a musician to be more “authentic” than talented is an immature imbecile and bereft of taste. Ross certainly is gifted. He may not be the best in the biz, but his voice is an inviting presence, particularly on slick, luxurious tracks that recall the heyday of Biggie Smalls and the high-end absurdity of Hype Williams videos. Ross’ rhymes cannot come close to that of Smalls’, but he slips comfortably into a variation on the “Big Poppa” persona in this song, presenting himself as an unlikely ladies man with a macho bravado that is just slightly eclipsed by his sensitivity and affection for the woman he is addressing. The-Dream adds some strong vocal hooks and the track’s crisp, busy beats add just a touch of roughness to the smooth tone of the arrangement, but the emphasis is rightly placed on Ross’ gravelly voice and the sweetness of his lyrics.

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Liechtenstein “All At Once”

“All At Once” all but begs for annotation, but its pleasures come more from Liechtenstein’s craft and skill than in simply recreating the feeling of recordings from 20-30 years ago. There are no original moves here, but every part of the song is well executed and locks together as part of a larger framework. I’m especially fond of the way the bass throbs with a sinister, muted sexuality, and how the vocal harmony seems to indicate shifting and overlapping planes.

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