Firstly, R.O.O.T.S is an acronym which stands for "Route of Overcoming the Struggle". It is the second studio album by rapper Flo Rida. The album was released on March 31st 2009 in the US.
First Impressions
On first listen through, it’s fine. An above average rap album compared to 50 Cent stuff or similiar. The hooks are there. Catchy no doubt, but not really memorable. Standard trashy hip-hop lyrics as usual. This album uses tons of samples from different songs and enlist loads of guest artists.
First week sales are only 55,000. Debuted on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at Number 8. Seem like sophomore slump is present, even though ‘Right Round’ stayed at the peak of the Billoboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks straight.
Standout Tracks
Jump – Featuring Nelly Furtado. Middle-Eastern feel to this song. Nelly sings on the chorus.
Gotta Get It (Dancer) – Uses elements from ‘Private Dance’ by Tina Turner. A dance-floor filler. Could see loads of break dancers using this song for breaking. =)
Right Round – Produced by Dr Luke. Sample is distictively "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. It gets annoying after awhile.
Be On You Featuring Ne-Yo. It’s more like the other way around that Flo Rida guest raps instead. Co-produced between Stargate and Ne-Yo. It is definitely a Ne-Yo styled song. LOL
Touch Me – Samples "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi. Interesting sample choice. Well, since Kanye sampled Daft Punk’s "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", this is the answer to that I guess.
Sugar Samples "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65. That euro trash song. Ironically, it’s my favourite song from the album. Addictive. Wynter Gordon does a good job on the chorus.
Final Verdict
This album suffers from not having any personality. It’s like a ‘sell -out’ album to ensure good sales. Riding on the wave of ‘Low’, one of the biggest singles of 2008, this album follows that template. Hooks aplenty, crappy lyrics. I wouldn’t listen to it on rotation but it’s good for my jogging sessions when I put it on shuffle mode. =)