TDE's Ray Vaughn Serves Up a Solid Debut LP

Top Dawg Entertainment talent Ray Vaughn is not new to the scene. The Long Beach-based rapper has been long tapped in ever since signing to the record label in 2020, having teamed up with TDE heavyweights Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul on their own individual projects; now, Vaughn is ready to introduce himself as a solo artist with his first-ever solo longform project, which lands as a commendable, captivating and chillingly reflective mixtape dubbed The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu.

Rashad and Vaughn run it back on “EAST CHAT” with Jay Rock showing out on another high point of the project, “KLOWN dance,” but the 11-track project proves Vaughn can run the show on his own.

He sets the tone on “FLOCKER’s remorse,” reflecting on the realities of the come-up to fame, closing out with the line: “The last thing I wanna be on is a tee shirt.” The project’s second cut, “XXXL Tee” picks up on that sentiment, followed up by singles “DOLLAR menu” and “FLAT shasta.” The latter of the two features Ash Leone, with other features coming from Sydney Leona, emerging genre-bender Samara Cyn and fellow Bay Area rapper LaRussell.

It’s the LaRussell-featuring cut – ”LOOK @ GOD” – that signals the project’s focus track, punctuated by witty writing and a punchy closer to the chorus: “Could be worse if I woke up y’all.”

Find the full tracklist below and stream The Good The Bad the Dollar Menu – out everywhere now.

1. FLOCKER’s remorse
2. XXXL Tee
3. DOLLAR menu
4. FLAT shasta (ft. Ash Leone)
5. 3PM @ DAIRY’S (ft. Sydney Leona)
6. EAST CHAT (ft. Isaiah Rashad)
7. KLOWN dance (ft. Jay Rock)
8. LOOK @ GOD (ft. LaRussell)
9. JANKY moral COMPASS (ft. Samara Cyn, Sydney Leona)
10. MILES AWAY from heaven
11. SURBURBAN KIDZ