Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1

Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
Mixtape by
ReleasedSeptember 29, 2014
Recorded2014
GenreHip hop
Length1:24:03
LabelCash Money Records
Producer
Birdman chronology
The H: The Lost Album Vol. 1
(2013)
Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)
Lost At Sea
(2016)
Young Thug chronology
1017 Thug 3: The Finale
(2014)
Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)
Barter 6
(2015)
Rich Homie Quan chronology
I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In
(2013)
Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)
If You Ever Think I Will Stop Goin' In Ask Double R
(2015)
Rich Gang chronology
Rich Gang
(2013)
Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1
(2014)

Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 is a mixtape by American rappers Birdman, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan, billed collectively as Rich Gang. It was released on September 29, 2014, by Cash Money Records. Production was helmed by London on da Track, Issac Flame and Goose, while American rappers Nipsey Hussle, PeeWee Longway, Jacquees, Yung Ralph, Bloody Jay, MPA Duke and MPA Wicced provided guest appearances.

The mixtape loosely succeeds the label's compilation album, Rich Gang (2013), from which both Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug were absent. Rich Gang: Tha Tour was supported by seven promotional singles: "Tell Em (Lies)", "Imma Ride", "Freestyle", "Soldier", "Milk Marie", "Flava" and "Givenchy".

Background

[edit]

On March 11, 2014, American rappers Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan announced a joint EP to be released in the near future. Rich Homie Quan described it as "best collabo since OutKast."[1] On September 23, 2014, Birdman described Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan's collaboration during an interview with MTV News, saying "They were already working on a project, them two, and I said, 'Let's do it together. Let me take it to the next level for y'all, 'cause I see y'all got the potential and the talent.' I just thought by them being together, it would be a stronger impact and then they still can do their solo things."[2]

Promotional singles

[edit]

On September 29, 2014, videos for the first and second promotional singles "Tell Em (Lies)" and "Imma Ride" were released ahead of the mixtape.[3] On October 17, 2014, videos for "Freestyle" and "Soldier” were released as the third and fourth promotional singles. On October 27, 2014, Rich Gang premiered the video for the fifth promotional single, "Milk Marie", on 106 & Park. "Flava" and "Givenchy" were subsequently announced as promotional singles.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Complex[4]
Exclaim!8/10[5]
HipHopDX4.0/5[6]
Pitchfork8.0/10[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
Wondering Sound[9]
XXL4/5[10]

The mixtape received contemporaneous acclaim from music critics. Complex described Tha Tour as "one of the year's best full-length records full stop, a consistently impactful rap record destined to be an indelible artifact of 2014".[4] HipHopDX called it "a trap-love-fest that hypnotizes you for its entirety".[6] Rolling Stone called it a "ridiculously fun mixtape" and described Young Thug as "stretch[ing] his voice like pure nonsense in wheezy, joyful yelps", and Quan's contributions as "cold-soul verses and hooks to give the tape weight and substance".[8] Complex also praised the production on the tape, emphasizing the contributions of London on da Track, saying that he "works a sparse atmosphere of smooth, softened pianos and empty space".[4] Exclaim! praised it as the best rap mixtape of 2014.[5] On Stereogum's Best Albums of 2014, Tha Tour was listed at #21.[11]

The mixtape ranked among the best albums of the 2010s in many publications' decade-end lists. It was ranked 2nd by Noisey, 89th by Stereogum and 97th by Rolling Stone.[12][13][14]

The mixtape has developed a legacy for the chemistry between Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan, as well as its blueprint for Atlanta trap music. In 2018, Tom Breihan of Stereogum labelled Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 as "a classic of 2010s rap music".[15]

Track listing

[edit]
Digital download[16]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Givenchy" (Young Thug and Birdman)Dun Deal5:00
2."War Ready" (Rich Homie Quan)Isaac Flame3:54
3."I Know It" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Isaac Flame4:05
4."See You" (Young Thug)Isaac Flame4:19
5."Beat It Up" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Goose4:02
6."Flava" (Young Thug, Birdman and Rich Homie Quan)
5:51
7."730" (Young Thug)London on da Track4:07
8."Hate I" (Rich Homie Quan)Goose2:13
9."Tell Em (Lies)" (Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan)London on da Track4:04
10."I Got" (Young Thug featuring Peewee Longway)Mike Will Made It3:27
11."Milk Marie" (Rich Homie Quan)Wheezy3:14
12."Imma Ride" (Birdman and Young Thug featuring Yung Ralph)London on da Track4:47
13."Everything I Got" (Rich Homie Quan)Goose4:11
14."Keep It Goin" (Young Thug)London on da Track4:23
15."Bullet" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Goose4:02
16."Freestyle" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)Dun Deal3:43
Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 — (bonus tracks)
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
17."Throw Your Hood Up" (Young Thug featuring Nipsey Hussle and Bloody Jay)Sonny Digital5:33
18."Soldier" (Jacquees featuring Rich Homie Quan)Erv4:13
19."Pull Up" (Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)
  • Goose
  • Isaac Flame
  • Dun Deal
3:57
20."Who's On Top" (Young Thug featuring Duke and Wicced)Planet93:52
Total length:84:03

References

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  1. ^ Baker, Soren (2014-03-11). "Rich Homie Quan Calls His Collaborative Efforts With Young Thug The "Best Collabo Since OutKast" | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  2. ^ mtv (2014-09-23). "Young Thug And Rich Homie Quan Will Have A Strong Impact Together, Birdman Boasts". MTV. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  3. ^ "Rich Gang Feat. Young Ralph "Riding" Video [New Video]". Hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  4. ^ a b c Drake, David (October 4, 2014). "Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, and Birdman's Rich Gang Mixtape Is One of the Best Releases of the Year". Complex. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Zaworski, Eric (September 29, 2014). "Rich Gang: Tha Tour, Part 1". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Pearce, Sheldon (October 8, 2014). "Rich Gang – Tha Tour Pt. 1 (Mixtape)". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  7. ^ Goble, Corban (October 3, 2014). "Birdman / Young Thug / Rich Homie Quan: Tha Tour Part 1". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Vozick-Levinson, Simon (October 21, 2014). "Rich Gang: Tha Tour Part 1". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  9. ^ Soderberg, Brandon (October 2, 2014). "Rich Gang, Tha Tour Pt. 1". Wondering Sound. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  10. ^ Blair, Michael (October 3, 2014). "Rich Gang Lives The Exuberant Life On 'Tha Tour Pt. 1′ Mixtape". XXL. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  11. ^ Stereogum (2014-12-02). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2014". Stereogum. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  12. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  13. ^ "The 100 Best Albums Of The 2010s". Stereogum. 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  14. ^ Dolan, Jon; Spanos, Brittany; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Sheffield, Rob; Holmes, Charles; Hoard, Christian; Hudak, Joseph; Leight, Elias; Exposito, Suzy; Hermes, Will; Martoccio, Angie; Browne, David; Shteamer, Hank; Freeman, Jon; Shaffer, Claire; Ehrlich, Brenna; Bernstein, Jonathan; Blistein, Jon; Catucci, Nick; Klinkenberg, Brendan; Schwartz, Danny; Grow, Kory (2019-12-03). "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  15. ^ Tom Breihan (October 10, 2018). "Lil Baby & Gunna Are The Best Rap Duo In Years". Stereogum. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  16. ^ "Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan & Birdman - Rich Gang: The Tour, Part 1 - YMCMB". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved 17 May 2017.