What to say that I haven't said about T-Rock before? There isn't much. He is one of my favourite rappers of all time and easily my favourite at the moment. I don't anticipate many other artists' projects like I do with T-Rock, particularly in the world of hip hop. That becomes an even stronger statement when you consider how frequently he releases new music. He boasts about the amount of music he releases and has claimed only James Brown can touch him by way of albums. I don't know how true that is but he has released a tonne of music, and the productivity has only been growing, with another few albums already promoted for release after this.
1.1 Money Man
Kicks off the album well. Where many, particularly in the past few years have made political songs full of hypocrisy and fallacies, Rock uses some bars to basically say both sides are greedy and full of shit.
1.2 Bodies
This one has grown on me but it's nothing too special. Gangsta rap with an average beat. It surprises me it's the second one he released a video for - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YEa0ODWyrQ&fbclid=IwAR367rjOP4JPTioZXa208DMwZDAf5tymQy2xCK2IN6L39CfoTMPYGO-pwy0]
1.3 Understand Me
The first single from the album with a video - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ghTk8TX4I]. I love the flow to kick off the second verse. A banger.
1.4 Racked Up (Remix)
One of two remixes featured on here. The hook is 'ehh' but the rapping is fire, particularly the last verse.
1.5 Give a Fuck
Hard beat, more fantastic rapping. Nice contrast between the bare chorus and verses. Many different flows and pacing with his vocals. He seems to be taking a shot at the current state of the game.
1.6 Hella Sauce
Similar to the last track. The production dies down for the hook
1.7 King Shit (Remix)
One of, if not the best here. An excellent bangin' high tempo beat, and yep, great rapping. A useful workout track.
1.8 Run It Up
1.9 Tip Drill
Sex tune. "Move that ass like a tip drill"
1.10 Billionaire Today
After a run of gangsta rap about cash, money and hoes Rock gets more conscious. He asks what would you do if you became a billionaire.
1.11 No Mo
This was released on last year's 'Bullet Klub' album. A good song like that whole album is. It continues the more laid back feel of the previous track compared to all the songs that came before. Oddly it's spelt differently on this release than on Bullet Klub.
2.1 Cheeze & Dope
A snippet for this was released years ago, with Rock spitting it in his car - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pycRxkd1ABQ] that wet the appetite. High tempo beat with fast strings (using a similar beat to what Project Pat had on 'Cheese and Dope'). That second verse! Jesus Christ!!!
2.2 Pronto
Another one released as a snippet from the whip - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjfFeL8NPWM], and then about a month ago released on a compilation. Another one of my favourites.
2.3 Racked Up (Original)
This gives it a different feel compared to the remix. I think I like this more.
2.4 For the Bag
The 'Tip Drill' of this disc.
2.5 Growed Up
2.6 War Against the Machine
We finally get to the title track. This begins with Mr. Sche who in no way holds a candle to T-Rock. Few do which often make featured verses a let down on his projects. Deeper lyrically compared to many songs here but it has one of the weaker beats.
2.7 Back Seat
'Rise and Grind' was a collab album released a couple of months ago between Rock and Cappa. Rock sounds great over this beat and it has a catchy hook. 'Brain in the back seat'.
2.8 Yo Mind
A slow vibey likeable beat here. The problem lies with the hook. It sounds exactly like 'Rise and Grind' from the aforementioned project. I like the verses but the similarity of the hook to an earlier song brings it down. The more I listen to it the less it bothers me. Topically, as there often is on a T-Rock album, here is the religiously-themed song.
2.9 King Shit (Original)
The remix is better, it feels more menacing, but this is still good.
2.10 Don't You Worry Bout It
2.11 Check
T-Rock saved the worst till last. The weakest song here. There is little distinction between the beat on the verses and hook, the hook isn't catchy and the beat doesn't catch my ear much.
While the producers, Mossberg, Mr. Sche and Mr. Maceo are the people T-Rock usually works with, particularly the first two, at times there does seems like a slightly different sound present. Topically it's possibly a tad shallower than what he used to make, but there are still some more thoughtful songs and bars present. It is lacking a weed song though that is a rarity for the self-proclaimed 'Mr 4/20'. Of the music to come though, there is a project titled 'How High' and a sequel to the religiously-themed 'Kairos Album', so perhaps those are being saved. With such a brilliant rapper though, I can take some gangsta/brag rap on repeat.
Beats: ★★★☆
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★☆
Best Tracks: Money Man, Understand Me, Give a Fuck, King Shit (Remix), Billionaire Today, No Mo, Cheeze & Dope, Pronto, Racked Up (Original), Back Seat
Another few months, another T-Rock/T-Rock affiliated album. I'm not complaining though, as he is my favourite artist who consistently puts out material. However, on average, these compilation type of releases from T-Rock and the Rock Solid Label haven't been as crisp as many of his recent solo albums. This one has grown on me after a few spins but still lacks the real punch his solo albums often have.
T-Rock's new R&B signing Kehoa offers something different on the album. It opens with a fiery verse from T-Rock, then Smoke straight away after that. It would have been better separating these because Kehoa's singing verses blend in too much with her hook and it almost gets boring, but has enough going for it. Elsewhere, the Rem Steele (sounds like a wrestler's name or something) songs 'Inhale and Pause' and 'A Peace of Mind', taken from Remsteele's 'Cities Been Raped' are quality with the former being my pick from the disc (T-Rock does these vibey smoke songs well), and the latter features Kool and The Gang's 'Little Children' sample best known to hip hop fans as being in AZ's 'Happy Ho Jackie'. Lil Tec's 'Another Day' is another one worth mentioning featuring a good hook and beat. The only things that kind of fail to work are the posse song 'The Gunline' taken from last year's 'Revelations' by Smoke that goes on a touch too long and 'Shed Some Blood', that while featuring a catchy chorus, fails with the beat and verses. 3-3.5/5
Best Tracks: Inhale and Pause, Another Day, Gotta Go, A Peace of Mind.
Another unknown worthy West Coast release, so much so, that O.Z. wasn't even in the database. While there isn't much original here, OZ is a good quick rapper who sounds a touch like one of the Bones at times, and the beats are quality G-Funk that was popular in the mid '90s.
Best Tracks: OZ, All I Really Want, Runnin They Mouth, Recognize and Realize
The first half a dozen songs are mostly made up of solid east coast beats with fire rhyming. 'Numerical Slaughter' is a twist on Papoose's earlier 'Alphabetical Slaughter'. You can probably guess what the difference is from the titles. While some of the bars are debatable, '3rd Eye' features more of the depth of political content that Cube should've had on 'Everythangs Corrupt'. 'BAG' is another decent one where Biggie is sampled. From there it switches to pop-rap. 'The Golden Child' and 'Precious Jewel' are about Pap's newborn child and his wife, Remy Ma. The former is fairly sappy but I don't dislike it. My main issue with it is that Remy doesn't sound sentimental. Papoose does, Remy doesn't. Then 'Discipline' has links to Papoose's upbringing. To finish the album 'S.H.O.O.T.E.R.' and 'Mash the Gas on 'Em' take it back to the album's earlier sound but aren't as strong.
As with his past projects, the rapping is mostly fire, he is a great rapper but on the whole the beats aren't noteworthy or unique. With producers like DJ Premier, E-Dubb, Pete Rock, Statik Selektah and Ron Browz providing beats the sound we've got here doesn't surprise.
Beats: ★★☆
Bars: ★★★★
Hooks: ★★★
Best Tracks: Underrated, Numerical Slaughter, 3rd Eye, God MC
Papoose can spit. Everyone knows that. On his best songs he has bars, a dope flow and commands attention with his voice. But some of the beats on this probably would have felt dated if this dropped when it was originally supposed to six years ago. 2.5-3/5