‘I really feel like I outdid myself,’ Rick Ross’ buddy and artist tells Mixtape Daily of U.F.O. Vol. 2. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Ade Mangum Torch Photo: MTV News Mixtape Daily Main Pick Mixtape : U.F.O. Vol. 2 Headliners : Torch, DJ Scream and DJ Swamp Izzo Representing : Bronx, New York Real Spit : Rick Ross ‘ Maybach Music Group is a multifaceted machine. While songs by MMG artists like Meek Mill, Wale and, of course, Rozay himself make dents on the Billboard charts, Maybach spitters like Torch have the streets covered. As an original member of the Bawse’s Maybach Empire, Torch has held his own on the mic, even if he sometimes doesn’t get the credit he feels he deserves. With his latest mixtape, U.F.O. Vol. 2, Torch aims to change all that. “When people hear ‘U.F.O.,’ they think aliens and stuff, but that’s far from what it means,” he told Mixtape Daily of his title. “It means Underestimated, Forgotten and Overlooked. It’s a sequel to Volume 1, which is already a certified classic by the streets.” With U.F.O. Vol. 2, Torch gives more than just rapper bravado. On the opening track, “Go Get It,” he hooks up with MMG singer Teedra Moses. Over a sampling of Lonnie Liston Smith’s “A Garden of Peace,” the same song Jay-Z sampled for his 1996 classic “Dead Presidents II,” Torch self-motivates. Reminiscing on dead and incarcerated friends, the brave-hearted lyricist keeps his eye on the multimillion-dollar rap prize. “I’m just trying not to let ’em down,” he raps. The Bronx spitter reimagines another rap classic on “Slowdown,” where he samples Lowell Fulson’s “Tramp,” more famously flipped on EPMD’s 1990 single “Rampage.” Rather than settle for a simple remake, Torch recruits Meek Mill, Wale, Gunplay, Stalley and Young Breed for an MMG all-star posse cut. Rick Ross shows up for “Grind-24,” and Masspike Miles chips in on “Thinking Out Loud.” Though every major player in the Maybach camp is accounted for, Torch doesn’t use his band of brothers as a crutch. So much of U.F.O. Vol. 2 showcases his solo talents. On “R.I.P.” the hungry rhyme slinger deads his competition, and with “Truth or Dare” Torch puts a conceptual spin on the childhood game. “I really feel like I outdid myself on this Volume 2, ” Torch boasts. We’d have to agree. Joints to Check For
