By Preemo
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
To even begin to understand Trials & Tribulations, it takes a deep understanding of the man on the cover, Ace Hood. Without a doubt, he is a dope hip hop artist and there is no doubting his celebrity status, but he has never had a fair shot. Aspiring artists dream of being surrounded by stars and having a big DJ backing them, but it’s not always all good.
In the case of Ace Hood, it’s been a blessing and a curse. He has a huge shadow to break from under and that sometimes becomes a burden. Ace Hood managed to overcome his Trials & Tribulations, taking out time to party a little bit too. Once again, Ace Hood was in the shadows of other artists, but he made it work out for himself.
Simply hearing the instrumental on the first single off Trials & Tribulations makes it clear where Ace Hood is aiming… to the top of the game. “Bugatti” is triumphant all the way around and Ace Hood filled the song with contributions from Future and Rick Ross. Triumphant, indeed, was the feeling because this marked Ace Hood’s official debut under Cash Money Records. YMCMB wanted Ace Hood on their roster for a long time and now that they’ve got him, they want him to be their next star.
Dramatically improving over his last album, Ace Hood sounds as if he is ready to put We The Best Music Group well over the top and that he is also ready to lead Cash Money Records into a new era. In some ways, the “We Outchea” single with Lil Wayne doubles as an anthem and a passing of the torch within the label. As good as Ace Hood is, he still has his shortcomings, as “We Outchea” may be a smash, but it is one of the worst records on the album. All in all, Trials & Tribulations is some overall good music to ride to and Ace Hood always manages to tell an interesting story.
Chris Brown, Meek Mill, Kevin Cossom, Betty Wright, 2 Chainz, French Montana, DJ Khaled, Wiz Khalifa, Anthomy Hamilton, and Birdman also appear on Trials & Tribulations.
Hip Hop Vibe’s Rating: 7/10
Follow Preemo on Twitter @OfficialPreemo.
