R.O.O.T.S.

Remember when J-Lo tried to convince us she was still just ‘Jenny From The Block’? Well R.O.O.T.S. (Route Of Overcoming The Struggle) is Flo Rida’s take on the rags to riches school of urban music. Not that it doesn’t contain its share of bling clichés, too. ‘Gotta Get It (Dancer)’ has him demanding a “nasty girl” whilst ‘Be On You’ displays all the subtlety of an 18-30 holiday-goer. Amazingly, his music manages to be even more offensive than his words. The production is sleek, but sterile, the guest artists uninspired, the samples atrocious. Fittingly for a musician who made his name with a track titled ‘Low’, R.O.O.T.S is an album of multiple nadirs. There’s Akon’s wan contribution to ‘Available’, ‘Touch Me’ with its robotic chant borrowed from Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’ and, sweet lord have mercy, ‘Sugar’ which pilfers the empty-headed refrain of Eiffel 65’s Euro-plop atrocity ‘Blue (Da Ba De)’.
It’s all hugely dispiriting. It will also likely sell by the absolute shed load. Better get ready to start counting those dimes Mr Rida.

Key track: ‘R.O.O.T.S.’