Send "Vado " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Harlem newcomer Vado is a good rapper-- maybe a very good rapper, definitely not a great one. He's got a big, blustery voice, an arrogant snarl, and a strong ear for battering-ram beats. In New York, where vital new rap voices aren't exactly thick on the ground these days, that combination is enough to make him a minor sensation. Crewed up with a suddenly resurgent Cam'ron and serving as the driving force on the slow-building club banger "Speaking in Tungs", the recently unknown Vado has built serious momentum over the past year. But more than that, he feels like a man from a time when New York still regularly cranked out hard-edged, uncompromising rap songs that work on a dancefloor. New York doesn't do that very often anymore. Nobody really does that very often anymore. And yet here's Vado.On Slime Flu, his solo debut, Vado shows just how much mileage he can get out of a somewhat limited style. Originally conceived as a mixtape rather than an album, Slime Flu varies in tempo and intensity but never in outlook. There are no attempts at any sort of crossover here, and even club-ready tracks like "Speaking in Tungs" are pretty rare. And unlike his mentor Cam'ron, Vado's not a word-drunk stylist. Instead, he's a straight-ahead barker, with a voice that uncannily recalls Cam's old buddy Jim Jones. But Vado sticks to beats with a pitbull tenacity; even when his punchlines don't land, he makes them work just through the force of his delivery. His ad-libs are great: "Hunh!", "Sliiiiime!". And he's ballsy enough to attempt a debut album with barely any guests; even Cam only shows up twice. And because Vado has an energy and a confidence that so few of his elders display anymore, Slime Flu instantly stands out by recalling a very specific late-90s moment. Vado, a guy who probably shouldn't be asked to carry a full-length by himself at this point in his career, makes it work anyway by doing the little things right. He doesn't water down his boasts, keeping things specific and local, trusting you to keep up: "Dine in that Peter Luger/ Large platter under the napkin, I keep the Ruger." He attacks blaring synthetic tracks like "Beat Knockin" and "Polo" without the slightest bit of hesitation. He has fun with low-key wealth signifiers without overdoing it: "They like, 'Man, that kid glow'/ In the Pepto Bismol-colored Gran Turismo." He resists the temptation to paint grand Rick Ross-type pictures of his criminal past, sticking instead to truer-to-life stuff about running credit card scams, being a two-bit hustler. On a late-album troika of slow, sinister tracks ("Bullets & Gun Smoke", "Crimesquare", "Snapped), he proves that he can do insinuating atmosphere even better than he can do all-out neck-snap bangers. With everything working in his favor, I almost don't mind that he placed tracks called "Polo" and "Rugby Down" on the same album....full text |
| Nappyafro |
| I’m really excited about this one. Harlem bred Vado is Cam’ron’s newest protege and may be New York’s next best thing. This is his highly anticipated Slime Flu tape. This is also not an official album release, but its a mixtape that not available for free sort of like Gucci’s Burrrprint or whatever it was called. If you so called Hip-Hop heads want a change for the better in rap or a return of East Coast, this might be it. 1. Council Music Crazy smooth beat. Sounds very Dipset like. “You write lines, mines define movies” just a jewel drop. Vado spits over this one crazy really cool track. Don’t understand why this is an intro though. 2. Polo Produced by Omen I loved this one when I first heard it and I still love it now. The beat is absolutely crazy. This is what separates Vado from other up and coming New York rappers. The fact that he can spit then change it all to something young listeners all over the country can feel. He’s not at his lyrical best on this track but he doesn’t have to its a song about Polo. 3. The Greatest Produced by 4th Quarter Sounds like a beat from the first Diplomatic Immunity and that’s something I absolutely love (I miss those days). This one was an almost perfect except for the hook it throws the song off. 4. Beat Knockin’ Produced by Jahlil Beats Not to hard to figure out what this is about. Vado goes right in on this one. The production on this is almost flawless so far. Not much else to say about this one though. 5. Celebration Produced by Feva Beatz I can tell right from the jump I’m going to like this one; This is definitely top notch album quality. Songs like this is what makes me laugh at people that call Vado a mixtape rapper. He just needs to get better hooks. 6. Wake Up Very New York here (Which you barely hear anymore). “Throwin up on his shit cuz I don’t spit I vomit” jewel drop. Perfect track 7. Rugby Down This is the first one I’m really not feeling. In case y’all ain’t know Rugby is from Ralph Lauren and I guess is very popular in New York. Not terrible though just not feeling it....full text |
| Dankideas |
| When Vado broke onto the scene over a year ago as Cam’ron’s protégé, it was hard to imagine that he was destine for anything besides a full-time weed carrying position. Fast-forward a summer and certain Hip Hop heads are looking to the U.N. member as New York’s savior. While Vado isn’t the most impeccable lyricist to ever grace the mic, he brings a fresh air to the game as well as a throwback mentality which makes his material so captivating. Initially planning his first mixtape release, Vado accumulated so many original tracks that he was able to turn his Slime Flu project into a full-length release. With his brethren Cam reuniting with Dipset and his name cast into discussion, it’s inevitable that more and more people will begin listening to the Harlem emcee. The only question is, ‘will his album leave an infectious mark on the game?’ Slime Flu gets off to fast start with “Council Music.” Going over a tremendous brass section sample, Vado articulates why he’s “the nicest you can find.” With clever tongue-in-cheek rhymes, Vado gloats, “I pull a Rolls up new/half these cats I can’t roll up to.” Vado lackadaisically carries the momentum of Slime Flu’s opener with the follow-up, “Polo.” Continuing his streak of bragging about his wardrobe, from Dolce Gabbana to Gucci, as well as his various whips, Vado still manages to separate himself from the herd with thought-out lyrics and an ability to stay true to the streets. Vado opens up the dark synth-driven “The Greatest” with a line previously used in several ‘freestyle’ appearances, spitting, “I’m like Ray Charles sitting courtside – I can’t see the game/these rappers get deals, they need to change/too much carrying like Aaliyah’s plane.“ Even though many have already heard these bars, they align properly and sound fresh over this production....full text |
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