For a man who once took six years-and eight before that-between albums, it’s surprising to see this land barely ten months after 'Man Down'. The lead single, 'Before Hip Hop', is more than solid, feeling like a sequel to 'Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It'. Beyond that, though, the excitement fades. 'Freedumb' is the next highlight, opening with some comedy-"Why is the internet not working?"/"Why are you not working?"-before moving into a likeable beat where Cube critiques our reliance on AI and tech. 'It’s My Ego' returns from his last project, now featuring a fan-submitted verse from a competition Cube ran. (Honestly, mine was better written). I’ve criticised Cube’s increasingly simplistic rhyme schemes on recent projects, and here they’re maybe at their weakest. I respect that he is still trying to bring some content to his music, but there are lots of ABC-rhymes, often sounding like off-the-dome freestyles. The production doesn’t help. The beats are flat, hooks forgettable, and there’s little in the way of strong melodies. While 'Man Down' is a better album, like that, this begins okay, but decreases in quality as it progresses. I can’t help but wonder if these tracks were recorded specifically for this album, perhaps rushed to align with his upcoming tour, or if some were leftovers. His last three albums have shared a samey production style, and this one follows suit. It also sticks to the trend of short tracks. Longer run-times wouldn’t necessarily save what’s here, but two-minute songs rarely have the space to become catchy or memorable. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like one of the downsides of modern music. It's also a shame that a rare modern verse from Scarface's isn't given a better beat on 'Act My Age'. While nothing here is terrible, most tracks hover around the 2.5–3/5 range, with little that stands out. If Cube is to make another album, he needs to sharpen the pen, and bring in new producers. Maybe do what LL did and get someone like Q-Tip to produce a whole project. Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★☆ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Freedumb, Before Hip Hop, It’s My Ego 1. Man Power 66 2. What You Gonna Do About It? 60 3. Freedumb 70 4. Guess What? 55 5. Forget Me If You Ain’t Wit Me 53 6. Before Hip Hop 80 7. Act My Age 65 8. Ratchet Ass Mouth 50 9. Respect My Space 52 10. California Dreamin’ 53 11. That Salt and Pepper 50 12. Bring Everybody 50 13. It’s My Ego 70 14. All Work No Play 65