★★☆☆☆
The first thing that stands out is the absolute lack of variation amongst the instrumentals. Whilst a mixtape, meaning the same level of production as, for example, Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss was never to be expected, the album ends up feeling like one long slog of hi-hats, snares, and melodic pianos/guitars.
This is not helped by the fact that Roddy never consistently finds his flow anywhere on the project, as he struggles to put together rhyme schemes in verses that end up sounding awkward.
Looking past the beats, Roddy Ricch is far too inconsistent for the project to feel like a solid cumulative effort. He has never been the most talented of singers, as is demonstrated on the opening track ‘Just Because’, a recurring annoyance; the song ‘Pressure’, after looking past the lone, mundane subject matter of jewellery, features annoying, whiny vocals on the hook.
Roddy struggles to find an engaging subject on the entire project, in fact. When he’s not talking about his cars and jewellery he’s rapping explicit love letters on songs such as ‘Favor For A Favor’ and ‘#1 Freak’, a track hard to enjoy not just due to its overtly sexual lyrics, but the fact that just two songs later, on ‘No Rest’, Roddy questions “Why the fuck would I ever commit to a bitch?” (err… perhaps because you’ve spent half the project professing your love to one).
‘Letter To My Son’ is more enjoyable, largely due to Roddy Ricch’s introspection. Roddy simultaneously vows to provide a decent upbringing for his son whilst reflecting on how having a child has led to him bettering himself.
It isn’t a revolutionary track, but it proves Roddy has the ability to delve into deeper subjects than just material wealth, which, whilst it saves the best until last, leaves you wondering why he didn’t explore more of these feelings throughout Feed Tha Streets III.
The album starts to find its footing in the middle, as Roddy grows into ‘Blue Cheese’ to make a catchy trap banger (looking past a slightly embarrassing bar, referencing lighting a candle during sex?).
Lil Durk delivers the most on-beat verse of the album to that point on ‘Twins’, before lead single ‘Aston Martin Truck’, which, whilst not having the replay value of ‘The Box’ or ‘Die Young’, features some of Roddy’s best singing on the whole project and sees him flowing properly for the first time.
Yet Feed Tha Streets III is far too inconsistent and repetitive, and it lacks the trademark Roddy Rich radio hit. He fails to latch onto the beats too often, often resorting to awkward flows, and doesn’t provide enough substance to make the project worth listening to in full. Let’s hope Roddy planned Feed Tha Streets to be a trilogy, and nothing more.
