Young Dro: Best Thang Smokin' : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

There is nothing particularly exceptional about gruff, workmanlike Atlanta rapper Young Dro, other than his sponsorship by Southern kingpin T.I. and his wobbly, gimmick-laden summer hit "Shoulder Lean." (Put it this way: Even the special "Shoulder Lean" dance is boring.) Dro's major-label debut hints that he's a smarter lyricist than his poppy, call-and-response approach will allow, especially on the tongue-twisting "U Don't See Me" (check the nice Wachovia bank reference) and the densely packed "Gangsta." But too much of Best Thang Smokin' sticks with what got him here: by-the-numbers, gut-rumbling Jazze Pha beats, dull, Pavlovian hooks and playfully crass boasts: "My girl got a girlfriend," he brags on not one but two songs - an odd way to grow a fan base, but Dro might need whatever help he can get.