First off, let me just start by saying that the swag on this mixtape is ridiculous. I couldn’t help but let my head bop to the music as Riz, a native of Harlem, stepped up to the plate taking no prisoners with his recent mixtape entitled “Gallic Wars Presents Death Before Dishonor” Hosted by Sha Money XL. From catchy hooks and hot beats to an impeccable flow, each track was a heavy hitter that made me want to rewind and listen again.

“RIZ is the truth. When I first heard his music, I got the same chills I got when I first heard 50 Cent” – Sha Money XL, Money Management.

I got those same chills as I listened to a rebirth of Hip-Hop bellowing in my ears. He epitomized that New York swag that in my opinion has recently been lacking. This mixtape features hot artists like Papoose, Maino, Sean Kingston, Lloyd Banks, and Trey Songz. All that dope on one album should be illegal!

“Show You Bout It” featuring Trey Songz is one of the best tracks on the mixtape. This song has had major play, taking the internet by storm. The production on this song is crazy and Riz’s voice is utterly infectious. It is definitely a club track with the beat knocking and the bass booming in your ears. The timbre had richness to it, just great tone quality all around. Trey Songz comes and lays the icing to the cake as his sultry R&B voice sings effortlessly on the hook.  “Talk That Shit” was another hot track. This track is really smooth, showing Riz’s swag is not a joke. He keeps it 100, letting people know that he is not all talk and he lives everything he spits. I can definitely respect that. I’m sure everyone is tired of the classic case of rappers not living what they preach. Riz lets it be known that doesn’t include him. The versatility on this mixtape is refreshing. Riz is a master at capturing sounds from the East and West Coasts as well as the Mid West mixed with a little bit of that Dirty South flavor. “Back In The Day” has to be one of my favorite tracks on the “Death Before Dishonor” mixtape. This track includes a sample from Notorious B.I.G. The intro starts out with a jazzy vibe, as a flute softly sounds and then the beat drops. This is just a classic Hip-Hop song speaking about the way things used to be during the early 80s and 90s. Riz definitely came and put his own twist on it showing more of the hard life speaking on drugs and crime and not just the good times that people generally discuss when reminiscing on “back in the days.”

To be honest, I could go on and on all day about how good this mixtape was. From number one, until I reached number twenty-two (the outro), I never once heard a wack song. That virtually never happens. I like to give both the good and bad of an album when I do reviews so that you can have a true understanding of the album. With Riz, I just honestly couldn’t find any negatives. Well, there is just one. He needs to be one of the forerunners in the game and the fact that he isn’t is disappointing. I’m confident that his time is soon coming. In the meantime, Riz keep creating beautiful music.