Young Roddy - Good Sense

Released: April 1, 2012

For almost 6 years, New Orleans rapper and member of Jet Life, Schrod "Young Roddy" Morris was only known for being a feature on Curren$y projects. He was recognized by Curren$y when he was to record a song in the studio with his cousin. Curren$y happened to spot him there and the rest was history...
His first feature was "Lysol", a freestyle with Curren$y over Souls of Mischief's "93 Til Infinity". This song was off the mixtape, Life at 30,000 Feet. He also had features (with Curren$y) in other tracks on the tape. After this happened, he ended up being featured on nearly every Curren$y mixtape from 2007 to now. By the time Spitta's first 2 albums (Pilot Talk I & II) came out, Roddy, along with partner Trademark, were gaining a lot of popularity from being on "Roasted" and "Hold On". The next year, Roddy & Trademark were gaining more while being on Curren$y's albums. While this happened, Roddy leaked a solo song called "Blow" which was him rapping over a smooth boom-bap beat. By the end of the year, Jet Life released their compilation album, Jet World Order, which frequently had the duo on songs together.

During the New Year, another song leaked, which was called "The Plot", a song with a beat produced by Kixnare (who used that instrumental previously in an Onyx remix). 2 months later, Roddy released a promo, where he announced the mixtape and the release date: Good Sense, April 1st.
Good Sense was his finally first project and was named after the sandwich bag company, GoodSense, as the cover suggests. The sandwich bag was possibly an object the Jet Life member grew up using. The mixtape has Roddy rap to used instrumentals, mostly boom-bap ones, using an underground flow, instead of a major type. The tape doesn't use that much features, only Trademark, Nesby Phips, Smoke DZA & Curren$y.

And now, let's begin!

1. Kyle Watson
Roddy freestyles to Common's "A Penny For My Thoughts" (which I previously put as a recommended track on my Can I Borrow A Dollar? review) and it's good. Roddy does a great job and his laidback flow makes this a tolerable cut. But the original is better though.

2. LM Bravehearts
A freestyle to "Lord Knows" by Drake & Rick Ross. A solid one, but not that special.

3. The Plot
Also known as the second leaked song off the mixtape, Roddy rhymes to a Kixnare beat, and I love it. Roddy uses an underground flow, and the hook is catchy. Roddy's lines are interesting and the concept of plotting on his come up is nice. It's good how he wants to make it. One of the best tracks on the tape.

4. Good Sense
A jazzy laidback song. It's not anything nostalgic or boom-bap. It's more of a "Just Listen" type of song, and it's great.

5. Landing Strip (feat. Trademark)
Trademark is the first feature on the tape, and they both rhyme over AZ & Nas' "Gimme Yours". I liked how the two work together. It's like they had a good chemistry the way Raekwon & Ghostface did. Trademark murders this track, but Roddy did well though. A solid cut.

6. Uncle Bull
Rod takes Camp Lo's "Black Hollywood" (not to be confused with the Wiz Khalifa album) and rhymes over it. The fact that it's more of a recent song makes this song excellent. I like what Roddy does with the track, thinking about what's on his mind and stuff. It's a great track, one of the best songs on the tape.

7. Tre 1st Commandments
Originally on Curren$y's Verde Terrace, Roddy does his own version of Biggie's "Ten Crack Commandments". Of course, it doesn't top Biggie's classic, but at least Rod did a great job at this. Solid. RIP BIG, by the way...

8. Russian Roulette (feat. Smoke DZA)
I get why this is called "Russian Roulette", mainly because this was the same year producer The Alchemist released the album of the same name, and he produced this instrumental. Anyway, Roddy & Smoke DZA collaborate on a freestyle to "Reality Rap" by Infamous Mobb (not Mobb Deep, by the way, although they were affiliated with each other). It's a good track and DZA shows how raw he is on this track and I like it. A great track.

9. Brisco
I won't actually call this an interlude, but Roddy does a short and sweet rap along with a skit. The instrumental feels a bit too repetitive, but it's alright. Short & sweet, and solid.

10. What That Is (feat Curren$y)
Since rapper Max B is spending a lot of years in jail (probably life imprisonment), what better way it is for Roddy & Spitta to do a track over a Max B instrumental, and it's great. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

11. Freedom of Speech
Rod does a freestyle to Rae & Ghost's "Heaven & Hell" and he's good. It's interesting how he refers to the song and acts like he has a "freedom of speech" with something interesting to say, as the title suggests. A decent cut.

12. Blow
This was the first leaked song. I don't know what song he was rapping to, but it's sure as hell great. When this came out, it was a nice introduction, due to the fact that he never really had a solo song. Nevertheless, another one of the best tracks on the tape.

13. Trapologist (feat. Nesby Phips)
And the mixtape concludes with a cover of Kendrick Lamar's "HiiiPower". Roddy does excellent on this and Nesby also does a fine job with this too. I like it, but it does get boring as the beat just loops a lot instead of switching up like the original. But, that's Good Sense for ya!

Good Sense is a worthy effort from the Jet Life rapper. It's great, and it proves that a rapper like Young Roddy has other things to talk about other than the lifestyle rap (money, cars, and weed) portrayed in many Curren$y/Roddy/Trademark collabs. He uses a raw and underground flow and, in most tracks, talks about how he dreams about coming up like his boss Curren$y did. The features are nice, with a small amount, especially with Curren$y. The beats are awesome, although most of them have been already used and recycled ("The Plot" and "Blow"). I liked how his style worked on the tape. He shows that he has potential with something like this. It's short and sweet, and he interests me. This mixtape is something worth downloading. It's nice, interesting, and great. And that's Good Sense for ya, ladies and gentlemen!

The Furious 5ive
The Plot
Blow
Uncle Bull
What That Is

Good Sense

Honourable Mentions
Russian Roulette
Landing Strip

But wait, there's more!

Released: April 1, 2013

The remainder of 2012 saw Roddy featuring on many people's albums and mixtapes, mostly Curren$y of course. While this was happening, the Jet Life crew released a trailer of a project which happened to be a sequel to the first Jet Life compilation (Jet World Order) called, you guessed it (whoo!), Jet World Order 2. The first single, No Sleep (with Roddy & Trademark) was released at the same time the trailer came out, with the help of Curren$y. In November, the album came out, and once again had Roddy & Trademark as a frequent contribution (they could've as well just made this into a Roddy/Trademark collab album or mixtape instead). Roddy was quiet for a while, other than being a guest appearance on projects. But in March 2013, he announced the second mixtape, Good Sense II, the sequel to his debut tape. He released it on April 1, 2013, the one-year anniversary of the first instalment. Unlike the first, Roddy raps to original beats, instead of recycled and used ones (although he freestyled to Jay-Z's "Ignorant Shit").

But however, was this better than the first? Does Roddy do a better job than before? And most of all, did he improve his rapping? It's time to find out...

1. Cookin' Up
This is actually raw. I would say that it is a better intro than what Roddy did for the first one. The beat bangs, and it still focuses on him scheming on his plot. It's really appealing and makes the listener wanna get into the tape a little more than before. Roddy shows that he's not messing around and he succeeds at that.

2. Street Pharmacist
This one is pretty soulful, laidback, smooth, mainly because of That 70's Sample. It's good, and Rod still shows potential and his underground flow is still portrayed here. I love this. Good beat, good rhymes, good sample, good... well, you get the point. SOLID!

3. Still Tryna Get It
Arguably one of the best tracks on this tape. Period.

4. 3 The Hardway (feat. Styles P & Smoke DZA)

This song bangs. No hook, just bars! Styles & Roddy did great. As for DZA, he was... eh.. alright. Not that good though. Still, excellent song.

5. Lysol Flow Reloaded
Since the "Lysol Flow" was one of the first tracks he was ever featured on, Roddy decides to do this one again. The thing is that it's only 16 bars, and all he done in the beginning and the end was just talk. I do understand that this was his first track, and without it, well... I dunno, but still, I expected a little bit more from him on this track, which he wanted to do again. Nevertheless, it's a solid cut.

6. 4 The Money
Originally on a Harry Fraud mixtape (Adrift), Roddy raps to a booming but laidback track, which has major jazz elements on it. It's a good track, and I love how Roddy manages to get into the track and suit it too. Harry Fraud does his thing with the production and the track manages to be great. I like this. An enjoyable song.

7. 504 Radio (feat. 3D Na'Tee)
3D Na'Tee gets on a banger, which samples "That's The Way (I Like It)". Roddy actually did well on the first verse and the third too. But, Na'Tee shows after many local mixtapes and stuff that she has potential to be a good female rapper unlike some people (cough*Iggy Azalea*cough). Another one of the best tracks on this tape.

8. Ignorant Shit (ETM/Educated Thug Music)
Roddy freestyles to Jay-Z's "Ignorant Shit" and it's nice. His rhymes are on point and I like it. Of course, it doesn't top Jay's like I said with "Tre 1st Commandments" on the first, but it's good.

9. Life (feat. Curren$y)
Boss man Spitta Andretti jumps on the Southern banging-in-the-whip track, which has more of a day-in-the-life concept. Roddy starts us off with a good verse and Curren$y continues with an excellent lifestyle rap verse, which is why I love this song so much. It suits Spitta a little more than Rod, mainly because he's been doing this for such a long time. An enjoyable banger from Spitta & Roddy.

10. This One
On this instalment, I didn't see Roddy on that much boom-bap beats like the first, so to see this is excellent and it's nice, smooth, laidback, and soulful. Of course, he does suit on this, as he did rhyme to these types of beats on the first instalment. It's excellent because of Roddy's lines and the concept of this. Another enjoyable cut.

11. You Know (feat. Trademark)
I wasn't expecting the Roddy & Trademark collab to come a bit later. I didn't really feel this track like I would with other collabs. Average song.

12. Freedom of Speech (Part 2)
Roddy does another part of the "Freedom of Speech" series which started off in the first tape. This part is a bit different, with a sombre and a darker tone to it than before. Roddy shows that he still does well with his rhymes and I like it. Decent!

13. Feel Me
Now it's over...

Good Sense II is an excellent follow-up to an introduction to someone we know as Young Roddy. The mixtape features more original beats, and Roddy shows that it's not everyday boom-bap. He also improves on his rhymes and the representing of his streets is frequently portrayed here. Roddy scores well with his features and the beats are nice. Songs like "Life", "Still Tryna Get It" and "This One" portrays a lot from him. There wasn't even an ounce of bad on the mixtape (other than "You Know") and he does better. My last word is that Good Sense II proves to be a better project than the first, and his style differs a lot from previously. The reason isn't because it doesn't show any old school vibes. This tape had a little nostalgia in it and it was great the way it is. I recommend that you cop this. Roddy gives you much more than just the lifestyle rap portrayed by the Jet Life crew, when showing he wants to come up in the rap game and the tape leaves you wanting a lot more.

The Furious 5ive
Still Tryna Get It
Street Pharmacist
504 Radio
Life
This One

Honourable Mentions
4 The Money
3 The Hardway