He's a DJ, not a rapper or producer, and yet
Kiss the Ring is another in a long line of exciting compilations from
DJ Khaled, the man with the million-dollar contact list. Being that it is his second release for the Cash Money label, the best of the YMCMB staff is here save
Drake, with
Lil Wayne leading
T.I. and the Auto-Tuned
Future through "Bitches & Bottles (Let's Get It Started)," a party tune with
Mike Will Made-It on the production and six names in the songwriting credits, but it still comes off as simple and immediate.
Nicki Minaj joins labelmate
Wayne, along with
Chris Brown and
Rick Ross, for "Take It to the Head," a song perfect for rainy days as the lyricists go from sullen to champion over a slow-rolling
Runners production.
T-Pain's usual high-gloss schtick seems renewed with
Big Sean,
Wiz Khalifa, and
Ace Hood all representing the new breed of witty thugs on "I'm So Blessed," and seeing how the Floridian
Khaled is always watching the island talent, 2012's Jamaican dancehall champion
Mavado is here, sounding majestic and very
Buju Banton on the sad tale of Kingston ghetto life called "Suicidal Thoughts."
Khaled introduces the moving cut with the iffy "pass the Guinness," plus all the "kiss the ring" drops are perilously close to
Spinal Tap or
Too Short territory, but past that, his song-interrupting shouts of "we the best" are kept to an acceptable level, and with veterans like
Scarface and
Nas here on the sour "Hip Hop," the glitter is anchored by street cred and some veteran wisdom. Still, this is the sixth time the DJ's used this formula, so any "lack of evolution" argument makes for a valid, but tiny, complaint, so think of this as a run-of-the-mill
Khaled album and that mill is still doing pretty awesome. ~ David Jeffries