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It seems you're referring to **"The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu"**, a mixtape by Ray Vaughn, a Long Beach, California rapper signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). There is no album by Ray Vaughn explicitly titled "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly," but the title you mentioned closely resembles his 2025 debut mixtape. Below is a detailed overview based on available information:
- Overview of *The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu*
- **Release Date**: April 25, 2025 - **Label**: Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) - **Genre**: Conscious Hip Hop, West Coast Hip Hop - **Length**: 42 minutes, 11 songs - **Key Themes**: The mixtape is a meditation on scarcity, survival, and personal growth, reflecting Vaughn’s life experiences, including economic hardship, family struggles, and his journey to signing with TDE. The title symbolizes balance: the "good" (milestones like success), the "bad" (street life and personal struggles), and the "dollar menu" (surviving on minimal resources, like fast food value meals).
- Background and Context
- **Artist**: Ray Vaughn (born Rayvon DeRay Welch, c. 1996) is a Long Beach native who began rapping at age 12. He signed with TDE in 2020, with the signing announced in August 2021 alongside his EP *Peer Pressure*. - **Mixtape Creation**: Vaughn treated the project as a "running diary," releasing singles over a year and a half, starting with early demos in February 2024 after collaborating with Pusha T on the single "Problems." The loose rollout allowed him to test tracks with fans and secure sample clearances. - **Influences and Style**: The mixtape draws comparisons to TDE’s blog-era projects like Kendrick Lamar’s *Section.80* or Isaiah Rashad’s *Cilvia Demo*, blending raw storytelling, introspective lyricism, and West Coast bounce. Vaughn’s style is noted for its vulnerability, technical skill, and a mix of confessional and boastful tones.
- Tracklist and Notable Songs
The mixtape features 11 tracks, with guest appearances from TDE labelmates Isaiah Rashad and Jay Rock, among others. Key tracks include: - **"EAST CHATT" (feat. Isaiah Rashad)**: Lead single, released November 15, 2024, built on an OutKast sample, showcasing Vaughn’s chemistry with Rashad. - **"FLAT shasta" (feat. Ash Leone)**: An emotional tribute to Vaughn’s mother, addressing her struggles with drug addiction, mental health, and suicide attempts. It’s been compared to Eminem’s *Headlights* for its raw honesty. - **"KLOWN dance" (feat. Jay Rock)**: A standout banger with a memorable VanJess sample, praised for its brass and woodwind production and Vaughn holding his own alongside Jay Rock. - **"DOLLAR menu"**: Released April 4, 2025, this track reflects on survival under economic hardship with a shift from introspective to braggadocious tones. - **"SUBURBAN KIDZ"**: A thought-provoking closer touching on addiction and faith, delivering a gut-punch of raw emotion. - **"JANKY moral COMPASS" (feat. Sydney Leona & Samara Cyn)**: Explores internal turmoil and self-awareness with candid lyricism. - **"LOOK @ GOD" (feat. LaRussell)**: A high-energy, danceable track that’s a West Coast favorite. - **"MILES AWAY from heaven"**: Noted for its introspective depth and quotable lines.
- Production and Features
- **Producers**: Includes Devin Malik, TariqBeats, and Vaughn himself on some interludes. The sonic palette ranges from stark boom-bap to 808-heavy bangers. - **Features**: Limited but impactful, with TDE labelmates Isaiah Rashad and Jay Rock, plus artists like Ash Leone, Sydney Leona, Samara Cyn, and LaRussell. Vaughn intentionally avoided flashy features to focus on his own voice.
- Reception
- **Critical Praise**: The mixtape has been lauded for its storytelling, vulnerability, and connection to TDE’s legacy of introspective hip-hop. Reviewers compare it to blog-era mixtapes, calling it one of the freshest West Coast releases in years. It’s been rated highly, with some calling it a contender for 2025’s best hip-hop project. - **Fan Sentiment**: Posts on X and Reddit show strong fan appreciation, with users calling it an "underrated gem" and comparing it to YG’s *My Krazy Life* for its personal storytelling and balanced energy. Some fans consider it better than labelmate Doechii’s *Alligator Bites Never Heal*. - **Standout Qualities**: Critics highlight Vaughn’s ability to balance catchy bangers with deeply personal tracks, his unique vocal delivery (doubling lower and higher vocals), and his knack for relatable, vivid storytelling.
- Themes and Significance
- **Personal Struggles**: The mixtape delves into Vaughn’s challenging upbringing, including his mother’s battles with schizophrenia and substance abuse, his time living in his car with his daughter, and the loss of his daughter’s mother during childbirth. Tracks like "FLAT shasta" and "FLOCKER’S remorse" unpack survivor’s guilt and financial instability. - **Economic Hardship**: The "dollar menu" concept reflects Vaughn’s experiences with poverty, where fast food value meals were sometimes the only affordable option, tying into broader themes of survival. - **TDE Legacy**: As a TDE signee, Vaughn aligns with the label’s tradition of raw, narrative-driven hip-hop, drawing parallels to Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad, and Ab-Soul. Fans and critics see him as a potential "secret weapon" for TDE.
- Additional Context
- **Release Strategy**: Vaughn’s “no-rules campaign” involved dropping singles as they were completed, keeping fans engaged while navigating sample clearances (e.g., “samples ain’t cheap, bro”). - **Feud with Joey Bada$$**: In May 2025, Vaughn and Joey Bada$$ engaged in a rap feud, with Vaughn’s diss track "Hoe Era" targeting Bada$$’s Pro Era crew, followed by Bada$$’s "The Finals," taking shots at TDE and Kendrick Lamar. This added visibility to Vaughn’s project. - **Future Projects**: Vaughn has hinted at a proper debut album in the works, with some sources suggesting a possible 2025 release, though no concrete date is confirmed. He’s cautious about calling a project an “album” to ensure it meets high expectations.
- Clarification on Title Confusion
The title *The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu* may have been confused with *The Good, The Bad and The Ugly* due to the similar phrasing. The latter is a 1966 Sergio Leone spaghetti Western film, not related to Vaughn’s work, though its iconic Ennio Morricone score has been sampled in hip-hop, including by artists like Jay-Z and Immortal Technique. There’s also a 1975 album by Willie Colón, Hector Lavoe, and Yomo Toro titled *The Good, The Bad, The Ugly*, but it’s unrelated to Vaughn’s mixtape.
- Where to Listen
- **Streaming Platforms**: Available on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Tidal, YouTube, and more. - **Physical Copies**: Fans have expressed interest in vinyl or CD releases, but no confirmation of physical formats exists yet.
- Final Notes
- The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu* is a critically acclaimed debut mixtape that showcases Ray Vaughn’s lyrical depth, storytelling, and West Coast roots. Its blend of introspective tracks and bangers, paired with TDE’s production polish, makes it a standout project. If you were looking for something else (e.g., a different album or the film), please clarify, and I can provide more details! Would you like me to analyze specific tracks, check for updates on X, or generate a visual related to the mixtape (e.g., a chart of its themes or tracklist)?