Ricky Raw
The Green Album
The sophomore full-length from Atlanta MC Ricky Raw is loaded with meaning. The title, The Green Album, is a Beatles reference, money reference, drug reference, a shout-out to producer Wes Green, and an environmental nod that is political by design. “Back on the Grind” and “Tell Me No” boom with a slow and Southern crunk slur; and samples of Paul and Ringo waxing on about contributing to a greater good in “Do What I Can” kind of says it all. Teamed up with producer Green, Ricky Raw’s lyrical flow over sparse, repeating samples and melodic phrases pays homage to true-school hip-hop songs with a laid-back sense of poetry and timelessness. 4 stars.
Ricky Raw plays Lenny’s. Free. 9 p.m. Sat., July 19. 404-577-7721. www.lennysbar.com.