Plata O Plomo is the collaborative studio album by American rappers Fat Joe and Remy Ma, released February 17, 2017 by RNG (Rap's New Generation) and Empire.

Background

The title of the album, "plata o plomo", translates from Spanish to "silver or lead", meaning "money or bullets". The phrase was used by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar who would offer government officials and law enforcement the choice of taking a bribe, or having a murder contract placed against them. Fat Joe commented: "The name of the album is called Plata o Plomo... money or bullets. You know what I'm saying? However you want it."

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
HipHopDX(3.2/5)
Pitchfork(5.3/10)
XXL(XL)

Neil Yeung of AllMusic gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the album for its mix of old school hip-hop with a new modern radio-friendly sound, saying that the album "plays like a mixtape (or playlist) with a wide variety of club-friendly hip-hop that often tugs on '90s nostalgia heartstrings while updating their sound with 2017 production". XXL gave the album four out of five stars, noting that the album is a "a triumphant return for Fat Joe and Remy Ma. Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX gave the album a 3.2 out of 5 stars, saying: "Plata O Plomo was definitely made with the right intentions and features some solid rapping but the most memorable moment remains “All the Way Up” which has since been inducted into Hip Hop's overplayed archives."

In a negative review, Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork gave the album a 5.3 out of 10, and said: "On this collaborative LP, their hard styles are too similar to make for a compelling dynamic."

Commercial performance

Plata O Plomo debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200 chart, earning 11,158 album-equivalent units in its first week. The album also debuted at number 19 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number three on the US Independent Albums charts respectively.

Track listing

Plata O Plomo track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Warning" (featuring Kat Dahlia)Joseph CartagenaReminisce MackieDaryl Kent JonesEric KovacsCool & Dre3:36
2."Swear to God" (featuring Kent Jones)CartagenaMackieJonesCool & Dre3:23
3."Spaghetti" (featuring Kent Jones)CartagenaMackieJonesEdsclusiveCool & Dre4:13
4."All the Way Up" (featuring French Montana and Infared)CartagenaMackieEdsclusiveCool & Dre3:11
5."How Can I Forget" (featuring Kent Jones)CartagenaMackieJonesiLLA4:25
6."How Long"CartagenaMackieStreet RunnerTarik Azzouz3:26
7."Go Crazy" (featuring Sevyn Streeter and BJ the Chicago Kid)CartagenaMackieJones808-RayCool & Dre4:12
8."Heartbreak" (featuring The-Dream and Vindata)CartagenaBranden RatcliffJared PoythressJohan LovkenVindata4:16
9."Cookin" (with French Montana featuring RySoValid)CartagenaMackieRyan CartagenaiLLA3:46
10."Money Showers" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)CartagenaCool & Dre3:45
11."Too Quick" (featuring Kingston)CartagenaMackieiLL Wayno3:56
12."Dreamin" (featuring Stephanie Mills)CartagenaMackieLegaxyCool & Dre3:52
Total length:45:19

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak position
US Billboard 20044
US Independent Albums (Billboard)3
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)19

External links

  • Howard, Janinta (February 17, 2017). . The Boombox.