The mixtape loosely succeeds the label's compilation album,Rich Gang (2013),from which both Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug were absent. Rich Gang:Tha Tour was supported by seven promotional singles:"Tell Em (Lies)","Imma Ride","Freestyle","Soldier","Milk Marie","Flava" and "Givenchy".
Background
On March 11,2014,American rappersYoung Thug and Rich Homie Quan announced a joint EP to be released in the near future. Rich Homie Quan described it as "best collabo since OutKast."[1] On September 23,2014,Birdman described Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan's collaboration during an interview with MTV News,saying "They were already working on a project,them two,and I said,'Let's do it together. Let me take it to the next level for y'all,'cause I see y'all got the potential and the talent.' I just thought by them being together,it would be a stronger impact and then they still can do their solo things."[2]
Promotional singles
On September 29,2014,videos for the first and second promotional singles "Tell Em (Lies)" and "Imma Ride" were released ahead of the mixtape.[3] On October 17,2014,videos for "Freestyle" and "Soldier”were released as the third and fourth promotional singles. On October 27,2014,Rich Gang premiered the video for the fifth promotional single,"Milk Marie",on 106 &Park. "Flava" and "Givenchy" were subsequently announced as promotional singles.
The mixtape received contemporaneous acclaim from music critics. Complex described Tha Tour as "one of the year's best full-length records full stop,a consistently impactful rap record destined to be an indelible artifact of 2014".[4]HipHopDX called it "a trap-love-fest that hypnotizes you for its entirety".[6]Rolling Stone called it a "ridiculously fun mixtape" and described Young Thug as "stretch[ing] his voice like pure nonsense in wheezy,joyful yelps",and Quan's contributions as "cold-soul verses and hooks to give the tape weight and substance".[8]Complex also praised the production on the tape,emphasizing the contributions of London on da Track,saying that he "works a sparse atmosphere of smooth,softened pianos and empty space".[4]Exclaim! praised it as the best rap mixtape of 2014.[5] On Stereogum's Best Albums of 2014,Tha Tour was listed at #21.[11]
The mixtape ranked among the best albums of the 2010s in many publications' decade-end lists. It was ranked 2nd by Noisey,89th by Stereogum and 97th by Rolling Stone.[12][13][14]
The mixtape has developed a legacy for the chemistry between Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan,as well as its blueprint for Atlanta trap music. In 2018,Tom Breihan of Stereogum labelled Rich Gang:Tha Tour Pt. 1 as "a classic of 2010s rap music".[15]
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