A Long Hot Summer 2004 Album

Masta Ace

"This how hip hop is supposed to sound, Tear them other cats' posters down" I'd never heard anything from Masta Ace before this, and I was more than happily surprised with the outcome when I first listened to this many year ago. I've revisited this in '24 and have dropped the rating a touch from a light 4.5/5 to a high 4/5 though. While the best, particularly 'Good Ol Love' and 'Beautiful' never get old, the opener, 'Big City', and tracks towards the end like 'Wutuwankno' and 'OMYGOD!' make the album drop off in quality, and the final third doesn't match the opening of the album. It's a clever concept album but the skits do get annoying too, although you feel the concept being told fairly well which you don't always get with a concept album. Beats: ★★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★★★ Best Tracks: Good Ol Love, Beautiful, Soda & Soap, Bklyn Masala