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Reviewed: AceHood StarVation 5
To be great, you may have to stand alone and fight against outrageous odds; you may have to fall to rise; tackle giants with humility; you may have to stand still to move forward; you may have to keep silent to be heard; Whatever you are called to do, stay the course. Stay the path and greatness is the result. Ace Hood is hungry; famished and he literally eats Starvation 5.
D. Francis — Rightly titled, Starvation, Broward native Ace Hood delivers not only a highly anticipated tape but also food for the hungry listener. Music has definitely taken a sharp turn as of late and Hip-Hop has not been immune to the watered down lyrics and catchy loops and hooks that has infected the music world. Call me "old-school" but true hip-hop resides in the fusion of the producer and the artist. One without the other is like saying hip with out the hop or rock without the roll: it's inconceivable. Ace Hood breaks through the cliche - "new sound" - and gets back to what makes good music good: The Lyrical Content.
Ace Hood spares no punches in this tape and much like his past tapes, his true lyrical genius is heard, felt and definitely recognized. It makes me wonder, why has this young artist been passed over so much in this industry? Surely his music is at the very least on-par and quite frankly, far more superior to what we hear on the radio; but I guess thats another story for another issue.
Starvation 5 opens with a very serious undertone, Gun Violence/Police Violence in America. Various news reports on the recent deaths of armed and unarmed citizens of America. The intro makes us reflect on our current situation in America and as we move through our life experiences, we must remember we are all in the same pot. United we stand, divided we fall. The intro is definitely one to make us think about our-true-selves. There is a "Category 5" storm hitting America and Ace Hood brings more attention to it.
As the storm subsides, in "Message to the label", Ace directs his message to the not so obvious "road block" in his way, the record label. Without doubt, Ace Hoods' lyrical content and flow can't be the reason he isn't commercialized, so the only other reason could be the label. Greatness is what Ace is looking for and at this rate, with this flow, Ace can very well continue to be a threat in the game, but fighting uphill against being held back is a tough battle for any artist; not to mention the many "mini-me's" or "mini-aces" borrowing/ghosting his flow only intensifies his struggle. Starvation! Even with all that said, Ace Hood still bounces on and off the Starvation 5 tracks with decisive delivery and resolve to his words staying real to himself and his fans. His recipe is simple, "A whole lotta Grinding, a whole lotta Hustling and a whole lotta patience" and of course his "Mama Never Raise No Fool".
"Amnesia", "Go Mode Feat. Rick Ross" and "Father's Day" are my favorite tracks on this tape. Now don't be confused or mislead, the whole tape is HOT! "Amnesia" is a hard hitting track with a deep, slow tempo grind and an impactful flow which resonates with me much like "Go Mode": its the 954 in me. "Fathers Day" touched me personally and I can truly understand his sentiment in this record. To allow us to peep into his personal feelings and family views was interesting and enlightening. He puts forth his story, his struggle and his grind allowing us to see and realize that though he is a favored artist, he is still very much human and is going through a lot, if not more, of the same struggles we all face in life.
Overall, Ace Hood is still proving why he "won't fold". Lyrics crafted for the beats he's on: The Broward Representer; Nine5Fours' "Face of Broward" is shaping up to be a staple in the game - not just in Broward. The intermissions between his tracks and the time-off between music releases only amplifies the effect of his passion and hunger. Ace Hood has grown-up. He has matured and his music reflects his growth as an Artist, Individual, Son, Father and Superstar. With cartoon music shaping the minds and imaginations of its listeners, I am glad there is still real music being made today for these old ears of mine. As we continue to find and define ourselves in this world, lets remember to "Stay True 2 Self" as Ace Hood exemplifies so well.
