THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE DOLLAR MENU
Ray Vaughn - The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu
With over a year in the making, Ray Vaughn’s anticipated project (mixtape) “The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu” is finally out. Including some of the fan favorites from the past year, he throws in another 8 new tracks to hold everyone over until the official album. What was unexpected though, was that Ray chose to use this mixtape to dive deeper into who he is and where he came from instead of giving us 10 bangers to hold us moving into the summer. He continues to prioritize quality over quantity in his music, giving us an 11 track soundtrack to his life.
We kick the project off with a skit about a boneheaded scheme to rob the local burger spot... It transitions into a melancholy piano melody-laced intro. It's a temperature check on what has been on Ray's mind lately like is it bad luck or did he anger God? And frequent collaborator Germaine lends his haunting vocals to the background and chorus as the record builds to create a very introspective intro record that ends with the statement "last thing I wanna be on… is a t-shirt."
And you get thrown right into a mid tempo banger where Ray dances over the sparse drums and percussion. The whole message on this one is simple, no excuses... Get some motion and get to the bag. Produced by his partner in crime Tariq and OhGodDC, this is the hustlers anthem kind of record. The type of song that makes you go for one more set at the gym knowing you skipped your Wheaties that morning. Listen responsibly.
We then jump into his most recent release from earlier this month, "DOLLAR Menu". You can read up more on DOLLAR Menu HERE.
Next comes the reflective story teller "FLAT Shasta" which was released prior to DOLLAR Menu. Read more on this emotional congressional HERE.
Ray lingers in the honest and moody vibe all the way through the next record, "3PM @ DAIRY'S." He takes the time to reveal more of his tragic story from earlier on in his life, while Sydney Leona asks “Can you hear me?” The second verse paints a picture of a dysfunctional family and upbringing where he was made to deal with some things nobody should have to. Ray continues to shine a light on every skeleton in his closet one by one on this project.
“ Brand new day on my calendar
but I don't even feel like breathin'
For what? It's fuck that job
'cause I lost that job
I'm broke
Hand on my pistol, head full of hope
Regret still knock on my door
My trauma still sit third row ”
We pick up the mood a bit and move into last years "EAST CHATT", a TDE collab with the homie Isaiah Rashad. Find more about this record and the video HERE.
In hip-hop there are some samples that have achieved absolute infamy. Let me give you an example. When you hear the "Darkest Light" by Lafayette Afro Rick band horn intro, made famous on Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got", you already expect a crazy beat and an upbeat record. But Ray turns that expectation on its head, pitching and slowing it down to give you the perfect cruising record for riding down the boulevard with the windows down. TDE labelmate Jay Rock jumps in on the second verse to bring it home.
We slide into a west coast banger featuring upcoming rap star LaRussell. Ray is in rare form, thanking God for his blessings on what will likely be the next single. This song has a hectic energetic sound that's begging to be played at inappropriate decibels. LaRussell gets tagged in when the beat switches and does what he does; drops hilariously creative bars and skates smoother than the Yasutoko brothers at the Xgames. In short... Issa BOP!
“ Hush, if you ain't never did it
keep your mouth closed
I was on the Northside, rockin' South Pole
Had to ask to run the heater
when the house cold
I embraced the silver lining
now my mouth gold, cheese ”
We're back to the laid back vibes where you just want to kick your feet up, put one in the air (if you partake in such things), and let a little bit of light from the sunset in. Young up and comer Samara Cyn lends a verse to this smooth joint just running through their thoughts on futility and questioning on if they're still on the right track.
"MILES AWAY from heaven" is a story told from the perspective of a drug addict. He laments on how everything is better when he is rolling or high and chasing away the feeling of nobody really loving him. And then the hope of death being easy since life is so hard, he wishes heaven was just a mile away so he could hurry up and go. It's a very creative way of adding perspective to what drives the addict to remain in that addiction.
And finally, we arrive to "SUBURBAN KIDZ" to close out the mixtape. Ray revisits his childhood and the knuckleheaded trouble he would get into early on. But as the song progresses what started out as mischief becomes heavy burdensome trauma illustrated in a way that only he can do. The beat switches and turns more sinister and he's no longer a child but we're hearing about current issues. The song has morphed into giving himself the advice to keep fighting because life doesn't get easier. A poignant lesson to close out "The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu."
Ray displays lyricism, deep introspection, storytelling ability, and lightly touches on his ability to carry a tune all over this project. And though at times this sounds more like a confessional or a page ripped out of his journal, it's a nice teaser to his upcoming debut album due later this year. But with Ray Vaughn’s versatility, you never know what to expect from him sound-wise. Whether you’ll get a creative story from a point of view you never imagined, a page out of a rough chapter in his life, or a banger to make you get up and dance with your finest mean mug… you’ll just have to stay tuned to see what comes next from TDE's rising superstar. Check out the album below.
