My second Blunt/TVT Records alumni is one of the many headscratchers of this genre we love. You know the ones. You hear them on a couple of hot songs and you genuinely look for more of their material. Then, after hearing what you asked for, you're left confused about whether you found what you were looking for or not. But, hey. That's why I'm writing about a guy like Ramel Govantes, whom you can still catch selling shish kabobs in Queens at 3 AM to this day, just look for the name Royal Flush aka Mr. Govantes' Kebob for a Shishy Evening and you'll find him in a jiffy.
So Govy here apparently hooked up with the subject of my previous post, fellow Queens Arab barbecue expert Mic Geronimo, in the early 90s, which resulted in our current subject appearing heavily on Mic's seminal 1995 debut, The Natural. (An album I'll admit to being quite fond of.) Ramel's chemistry with the Masta I.C. was pretty undeniable, and he also impressed with his command of the microphone, which is always good to have. Which for some reason led to Blunt being sold on the idea that Flush should get an album on his own. So all parties involved went to work on just that.
Blunt seemed to like the ingredients that made The Natural whatever it was to fans, so they made the decision to bring back most of the people who produced said album to work on Mr. Govantes' shit as well. However, this decision seems to have been made before Blunt received sale numbers for The Natural, evidenced by the fact that they went the screamingly opposite direction with Mic's sophomore release, Vendetta. (An album I'll admit to utterly loathing.)
This album, however, marked a transition in some of those producers' directions in their music, similar to quite a few production juggernauts. Some started sucking faster than others, I'll admit, because people like Erick Sermon took their sweet time descending into garbage territory, while others like Diamond D flipped at the drop of a hat, never returning to what made them great ever again. Well, not ever.
This album, however, marked a transition in some of those producers' directions in their music, similar to quite a few production juggernauts. Some started sucking faster than others, I'll admit, because people like Erick Sermon took their sweet time descending into garbage territory, while others like Diamond D flipped at the drop of a hat, never returning to what made them great ever again. Well, not ever.
Now that nobody's reading this post, I'll keep the review going for my nonexistent fanbase's entertainment. Here's Ghetto Millionaire.
1. INTRO
One thing that always pissed me off about this album is the various intros throughout. As if one wasn't infuriating enough.
2. I BEEN GETTING SO MUCH $
Goddamnit, Buckwild. What the hell went wrong, duke? It's almost like he's trying his damnedest to ruin his beautiful legacy as if it's the most despicable thing in the world to be associated with. Govy here (I don't give a flying fuck if you're annoyed by me calling him Govy instead of Royal Flush, by the way. Save your breath.) marks this special occasion by interpolating Phil Collins' defining song, In The Air Tonight, which is a favorite of mine. Boy, is this one a stinker. Motherfuck this song.
3. ICED DOWN MEDALLIONS (FEATURING NOREAGA)
Fun fact: Flush's actually Capone of CNN fame's older cousin. You can tell if you pay close enough attention. They sound pretty alike. Although I guess he's bringing Noreaga instead to the party because of Capone's prison term at the time. Anyways, this is the start of our host's relationship with EZ Elpee, piano sampler extraordinaire, who doesn't sample any pianos here. Go figure. Anyways, Noreaga sounds at home on the hook while our host runs down the mandatory three verses. The end product sounds surprisingly not that up to par. Not bad, but not amazing.
4. CAN'T HELP IT
My God, this song blows. I've always hated the Love Is A House sample and Khadejia's interpolation of Michael Jackson's I Can't Help It falls to the ground nostril-first. Trag's future BFF is left trying to pick up the pieces with whatever he can find in his rhymebook, but to no avail. Prince Kaysaan fucked up on this one hard. This is definitely not a good sign.
My God, this song blows. I've always hated the Love Is A House sample and Khadejia's interpolation of Michael Jackson's I Can't Help It falls to the ground nostril-first. Trag's future BFF is left trying to pick up the pieces with whatever he can find in his rhymebook, but to no avail. Prince Kaysaan fucked up on this one hard. This is definitely not a good sign.
5. ILLIODIC SHINES (FEATURING MIC GERONIMO)
Hold up, Prince Kaysaan sort of redeems himself here. Maybe it's because Mic Geronimo continues his winning form from The Natural and fucking drags Ramel along for the ride, who excels rhyming alongside his partner. This was pretty good.
Hold up, Prince Kaysaan sort of redeems himself here. Maybe it's because Mic Geronimo continues his winning form from The Natural and fucking drags Ramel along for the ride, who excels rhyming alongside his partner. This was pretty good.
6. MOVING ON YOUR WEAK PRODUCTIONS (FEATURING PHENOM PACINO)
Da Beatminerz come with an instrumental that would've been perfect as an 80s love ballad, but I guess the drums hit the way they're supposed to, so I don't mind that much. Flush and his weed carrier, apparently from their support group Wastlanz, rock over the Nas sample well, with thuggery that would make Tragedy Khadafi proud. Might I add that the name Phenom Pacino will never be taken seriously.
Da Beatminerz come with an instrumental that would've been perfect as an 80s love ballad, but I guess the drums hit the way they're supposed to, so I don't mind that much. Flush and his weed carrier, apparently from their support group Wastlanz, rock over the Nas sample well, with thuggery that would make Tragedy Khadafi proud. Might I add that the name Phenom Pacino will never be taken seriously.
7. CONFLICT INTRO
See?
See?
8. CONFLICT (FEATURING WASTLANZ)
The producer's called Sha Self, what were you expecting? I mean, really? Generic late 90s rap song #868430.
The producer's called Sha Self, what were you expecting? I mean, really? Generic late 90s rap song #868430.
9. SHINES INTRO
&^%$#! (Always loved when comics & cartoons did this.)
&^%$#! (Always loved when comics & cartoons did this.)
10. SHINES
Hi-Tek lends Flush his services right after he formed Reflection Eternal with Talib Kweli, and it's one of the best cuts on the album, landing at just over three minutes. Hi-Tek becomes the gajillionth producer to effectively freak a Prodigy of Mobb Deep sample. Ramel sounds right at home, for the record, with lines like: "I'm dyin over better things, not flooded pieces/Kids die for no reason, sick believin/I wish we all wouldn't wear it even." This was really fucking good.
Hi-Tek lends Flush his services right after he formed Reflection Eternal with Talib Kweli, and it's one of the best cuts on the album, landing at just over three minutes. Hi-Tek becomes the gajillionth producer to effectively freak a Prodigy of Mobb Deep sample. Ramel sounds right at home, for the record, with lines like: "I'm dyin over better things, not flooded pieces/Kids die for no reason, sick believin/I wish we all wouldn't wear it even." This was really fucking good.
11. FAMILY PROBLEMS
Man, why are the songs that are thought out the most always the shortest on these goddamn albums? Anyways, EZ Elpee returns behind the boards and, could it be? Yes! We have pianos! Mr. Govantes utilizes this opportunity to let off a one-verse wonder that's pretty fucking descriptive. Now, if this story's true, I'm gathering our host was a juvenile when he did what he did, because there's absolutely no way he'd be a free man if he was an adult. The album's momentum is getting a bit better.
Man, why are the songs that are thought out the most always the shortest on these goddamn albums? Anyways, EZ Elpee returns behind the boards and, could it be? Yes! We have pianos! Mr. Govantes utilizes this opportunity to let off a one-verse wonder that's pretty fucking descriptive. Now, if this story's true, I'm gathering our host was a juvenile when he did what he did, because there's absolutely no way he'd be a free man if he was an adult. The album's momentum is getting a bit better.
12. WHAT A SHAME (FEATURING NOREAGA)
Another EZ Elpee track. (Why doesn't he call himself EZ LP and be done with it. That 'Elpee' spelling gets on my damn nerves every time I come across it.) Here, he brings us samples of The Jones Girls' When I'm Gone effectively. Mr. Govantes and NORE's first real collaboration gives us their take on the One Love idea. It's not bad, per se, but the idea's novelty has worn off a long time ago, to the point that many songs of this nature come off as biting and following a trend. This one doesn't feel like such, though.
Another EZ Elpee track. (Why doesn't he call himself EZ LP and be done with it. That 'Elpee' spelling gets on my damn nerves every time I come across it.) Here, he brings us samples of The Jones Girls' When I'm Gone effectively. Mr. Govantes and NORE's first real collaboration gives us their take on the One Love idea. It's not bad, per se, but the idea's novelty has worn off a long time ago, to the point that many songs of this nature come off as biting and following a trend. This one doesn't feel like such, though.
13. REGULATE INTRO
If the album had a voice by this point, I swear I know what it'd say to me. It'd say: U mad, bro?
14. REGULATE (FEATURING MIC GERONIMO)
Yet another EZ Elpee beat. I guess our host saved him and his family from a flaming building, and now he's invited over every Thanksgiving. Anyways, this track is a foreshadowing element of things to come for Mic Geronimo, even though it's Govy spitting the club-friendly rhymes. This was meh, at best, solely because of Flush's verse.
Yet another EZ Elpee beat. I guess our host saved him and his family from a flaming building, and now he's invited over every Thanksgiving. Anyways, this track is a foreshadowing element of things to come for Mic Geronimo, even though it's Govy spitting the club-friendly rhymes. This was meh, at best, solely because of Flush's verse.
15. WORLDWIDE
L.E.S.'s beat is a weird choice for Trag's future BFF's thuggery as he disses the shit outta the Dogg Pound. The beat contains a sped up sample of the opening violins on Billy Preston's You Are So Beautiful, so that it sounds like a broken synthesizer, which is to say, not so bad, per se. Ramel is in full-on thug-rap-reppin-NY mode with his verses, despite the instrumental, which shows the level of commitment presented by him on this song. I'd still listen to it, but I wouldn't go out of my way looking for it or anything.
L.E.S.'s beat is a weird choice for Trag's future BFF's thuggery as he disses the shit outta the Dogg Pound. The beat contains a sped up sample of the opening violins on Billy Preston's You Are So Beautiful, so that it sounds like a broken synthesizer, which is to say, not so bad, per se. Ramel is in full-on thug-rap-reppin-NY mode with his verses, despite the instrumental, which shows the level of commitment presented by him on this song. I'd still listen to it, but I wouldn't go out of my way looking for it or anything.
16. N****S NIGHT OUT (FEATURING JA RULE)
Scratch that. Worldwide is a fucking work of art. A symphony defining an era compared to this shit. The mutated Buckwild is back, and you can imagine my fury at the ignorance present here. Forget the fact that I actually like the source material, Boz Scaggs' Lowdown, Buckwild's sampling here adds absolutely nothing to its legacy. Worse yet, it detracts from it. Furthermore, you can guess what that title lyrically brings out of Govy here. This crapfest is complete with Ja's filthy hook. And yet, this is still loads better than the last time Buck & our host for the evening hooked up on this album. Nevertheless, skip this shit.
Scratch that. Worldwide is a fucking work of art. A symphony defining an era compared to this shit. The mutated Buckwild is back, and you can imagine my fury at the ignorance present here. Forget the fact that I actually like the source material, Boz Scaggs' Lowdown, Buckwild's sampling here adds absolutely nothing to its legacy. Worse yet, it detracts from it. Furthermore, you can guess what that title lyrically brings out of Govy here. This crapfest is complete with Ja's filthy hook. And yet, this is still loads better than the last time Buck & our host for the evening hooked up on this album. Nevertheless, skip this shit.
17. INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY INTRO
You know what I needed more than anything in the entire world by this point? Forget something to eat. Forget some goddamn water. No, I needed another intro. They cure AIDS, they do.
You know what I needed more than anything in the entire world by this point? Forget something to eat. Forget some goddamn water. No, I needed another intro. They cure AIDS, they do.
18. INTERNATIONAL CURRENCY (FEATURING WASTLANZ)
ChySkillz debuts his lone track on this album with a beat that sounds once again straight out of Buckwild's best material. Maybe ChySkillz was trying to smack some sense in Buck. This leads to Flush and his weed carriers actually handing out some well thought lyrics, despite the pig-ass hook. This was much needed at this point.
ChySkillz debuts his lone track on this album with a beat that sounds once again straight out of Buckwild's best material. Maybe ChySkillz was trying to smack some sense in Buck. This leads to Flush and his weed carriers actually handing out some well thought lyrics, despite the pig-ass hook. This was much needed at this point.
19. WAR
Ramel catches wreck on a beat that he produced himself. Given the final result, maybe he should've produced his album by his damn self. At least, we wouldn't be exposed to shit like this album's first song. The beat surprisingly sounds pretty on point and our host is serious with his writing, the line 'Who's to blame? Man or cocaine? This world is insane' particularly catching my ear. This was another step in the right direction.
Ramel catches wreck on a beat that he produced himself. Given the final result, maybe he should've produced his album by his damn self. At least, we wouldn't be exposed to shit like this album's first song. The beat surprisingly sounds pretty on point and our host is serious with his writing, the line 'Who's to blame? Man or cocaine? This world is insane' particularly catching my ear. This was another step in the right direction.
20. MAKIN MOVES (FEATURING MIC GERONIMO)
Is it possible? Can it BE? LORD YES! A PROPER BUCKWILD INSTRUMENTAL! To anybody who still decided to read this review and document my suffering so far, this is a prime example of what I was talking about when praising Buckwild's production skills. Maybe it's because he worked on this in 1996, but no matter. Buck freaks a brilliantly-sampled Montara by Bobby Hutcherson to sweet perfection, and our host is downright cleansed by it, delivering a gut-wrenching performance into the average street hoodlum's mentality. Best song on the album by far, even with Mic stuck delivering a hook that's not to be proud of. One of my favorite Buckwild productions.
Is it possible? Can it BE? LORD YES! A PROPER BUCKWILD INSTRUMENTAL! To anybody who still decided to read this review and document my suffering so far, this is a prime example of what I was talking about when praising Buckwild's production skills. Maybe it's because he worked on this in 1996, but no matter. Buck freaks a brilliantly-sampled Montara by Bobby Hutcherson to sweet perfection, and our host is downright cleansed by it, delivering a gut-wrenching performance into the average street hoodlum's mentality. Best song on the album by far, even with Mic stuck delivering a hook that's not to be proud of. One of my favorite Buckwild productions.
21. REPPIN
L.E.S. returns to ruin any goodwill Govy earned from the previous track with this radio-fucking song. Almost as bad as I Been Getting So Much $, but not quite. What more do you want from me?
L.E.S. returns to ruin any goodwill Govy earned from the previous track with this radio-fucking song. Almost as bad as I Been Getting So Much $, but not quite. What more do you want from me?
22. DEAD LETTER
The prerequisite ode to fallen comrades. I guess Mr. Govantes has enough emotion in his delivery necessary to count this as one of the not-so-bad songs, so there's that. The beat by a thing called Low wouldn't sound out of place as posthumous 2Pac song #6748. I don't know, I still liked it.
The prerequisite ode to fallen comrades. I guess Mr. Govantes has enough emotion in his delivery necessary to count this as one of the not-so-bad songs, so there's that. The beat by a thing called Low wouldn't sound out of place as posthumous 2Pac song #6748. I don't know, I still liked it.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Let's play math: You have 22 tracks: 5 worthless skits, 6 bile-ass songs and 11 good-to-fucking-awesome songs. What would you think of it? Royal Flush can hold his own behind the mic if the beat's good enough, although that's not always the case, e.g. Regulate. The guests also vary in quality, from brilliant a la Mic Geronimo, to downright embarrassing a la Ja fucking Rule. I don't know, I'm still confused by this release. It's worth pointing out that Blunt failed in their pursuit to repeat The Natural's success, if you can call it that. However, Ghetto Millionaire did succeed in repeating one of its predecessor's feats: Not selling a single goddamn copy. Oh well.
WORTH IT? This is one of those albums that services like iTunes was invented for, where you can acquire the good shit and leave the rest. It's up to you if you want to get the whole damn thing and support the artist. Besides, for those iPod junkies, like myself, you can always delete the rotten shit. Speaking of rotten.
TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
ROTTEN APPLE
This EZ Elpee track was released to hype up the album, and ended up being one of Ramel's landmark releases. This is one of those songs that you're mystified as to why they're left off the album, as it would've fit perfectly on it. Anyways, EZ samples Nas' The World Is Yours in an effective manner, while Flush waxes poetic about the paranoia surrounding 'the life', and does a pretty good job up until his final verse where he almost ruins his work by flossing for a bit, then reverting to his by-now trademark thuggery. Overall, this was worth the search for me.
For more Royal Flush, click on his name.
This EZ Elpee track was released to hype up the album, and ended up being one of Ramel's landmark releases. This is one of those songs that you're mystified as to why they're left off the album, as it would've fit perfectly on it. Anyways, EZ samples Nas' The World Is Yours in an effective manner, while Flush waxes poetic about the paranoia surrounding 'the life', and does a pretty good job up until his final verse where he almost ruins his work by flossing for a bit, then reverting to his by-now trademark thuggery. Overall, this was worth the search for me.
For more Royal Flush, click on his name.
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