Review: RiFF RAFF - Neon Icon
[Mad Decent; 2014]
Rating: 6.5/10
By Travis Boswell, Staff Writer
Key Tracks: “Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwwdinz,” “Versace Python,” “Lava Glaciers”
To some isolated corners of the world, Neon Icon is the debut of RiFF RAFF, a Houston rapper with multicolored braids and a strong aversion to capitalizing the letter I. However, RiFF RAFF has been around since 2009 and has made a large presence on the Internet mostly by talking about himself. He's had feuds with Soulja Boy and James Franco, appeared on an MTV reality show and hosted a radio station in Saints Row IV. All the while dropping mixtapes and singles on a near weekly basis.
So this “debut” serves more as an easy-to-digest package of what Jody Highroller is all about. He's extremely wealthy and loves reminding everyone about it. He has the tendency to make metaphors that are daringly nonsensical. And while he raps most of the time, RiFF prefers to call himself a rock star.
The moments where RiFF RAFF steps outside of traditional rap tropes show that he's not new to the game. He's been carefully cultivating Neon Icon as his breakthrough with some songs that have major crossover appeal. “Kokayne” is a punk rock song that happens to have rap verses. “Maybe You Love Me” and “Cool It Down” are pop-rap songs with sung choruses, and “Time” is dangerously close to being a country song. RiFF RAFF even exaggerates his southern accent on that last one.
Of course, the majority of the album consists of the southern hip-hop he's most familiar with. When it works, it's among some of his best. “Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwwdinz” plays like an expanded (and better) version of his older hit “Deion Sandals.” It's a simple song but the booming bass and hook give it lasting appeal. “Lava Glaciers” flips an old jazz sample into a lush production and is capped off with an oddly uplifting verse from Childish Gambino.
Unfortunately, moments like Childish Gambino's verse are few and far between. RiFF RAFF's subject matter is limited, which becomes immediately apparent in the first song where he starts recalling things he said earlier in the song. He'll talk about his jewels, his cars and his hair but won't delve much deeper than that. However, his energy and use of insane metaphors is delightful. It's tough to decipher what, “Step inside the club and I smell like Power Ranger” or, “Banana bird fist looks like panda piss” even mean, but they will elicit a chuckle or a curious head nod at least.
In the end, RiFF RAFF's mannerisms are more appealing than the well-worn topics he repeats across every song. Even an introspective track such as “Cool It Down” revisits how nice his jewels are, but no one else will say something like, “Shoelaces tied light, better hold me tight / Might turn into a werewolf after midnight.”
Neon Icon is a brief listen, just long enough to show RiFF RAFF's skills. There are a few wasted tracks like a grating late-album skit, listless “Wetter Than Tsunami” and awful electronic track “VIP Pass To My Heart” that don't add much to the album. Still, the excellent production ensures that this will be a summer jam regardless. Neon Icon is a musical sugar high. Intense and fun for a time, but the lasting impression is minimal.
