I could just copy and paste my review for Teflon's debut that was released in '97 for this. "A decent boom bap, gangsta/conscious rap album from Teflon, a long time M.O.P. affiliate, who was going to release a collaborative album with Premo in 2005, but things didn't work out. This is an easy album to play and let spin from front to back, but nothing is groundbreaking. M.O.P. feature on three songs and produce four, so you can kind of know what to expect from that if you know M.O.P. but Teflon isn't the same kind of hardcore spitta." It all fits for this album except for the M.O.P. producing part (and maybe there's less consciousness here). Tracks 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 14 are produced by Jazimoto and 2, 3, 4, 11 and 13 by DJ Premier. The debut did have some more sampling and soulful moments though, with this just being more straight-up hard boom bap from front to back. As mentioned above, it's all enjoyable, and if you like that Premo boom bap, you'll feel the same way, but there's nothing memorable here. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: Out the Gate, Contraband, Baby, Hostile Takeover

There is an attempt to open the album with a bang on 'DOWN BY LAW' but ending half the bars with "My Nigga"... Ehh... It kind of ruins it for me. 'SHED TEARS' feels like it's trying too hard as well. I liked 'RUN' at first. The chorus and aspects of the production are decent, but on revisits it drags on, and then with the wack Young Thug, it only gets worse towards the end. 'NRICH' continues the weak start with most of 6LACK's depressive and tired sounding feature being terrible. I'm not going to pretend to be offended by the "brokeback shit" line but some of the bars in songs like 'TALK'N THAT SHIT!' are elementary. "I'm too cool, AC." "I'm the shit, I go fecal." It sounds like a bad freestyle at times. The beat is dope though, particularly before the beat changes ups. 'SLUMMER' is the best from the first six with Mike reflecting on when he was a teenager and impregnated a girl that led to an abortion. The beat drop 3-minutes in is great. I know this next clause is blasphemy, but I hate Andre's verse on 'SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS'. And then you have the almost always horrendous Future after him. From bad to worse. Killer Mike helps do his best to save the song with a strong performance though when he enters making for a song of two halves. 'TWO DAYS' features some of the most enjoyable rapping on the album. - "Can I stop it? Pocket profit every time I push a pin/But I do not push a pin, fuck a pin and the pen/That imprisoned all my kin and my partners and my friends/Fuck the politicians that sponsor the prisons that they in." The album finishes strongly with the emotive 'MOTHERLESS', the EL-P collab, 'DON'T LET THE DEVIL', that is easily the best song, and 'HIGH & HOLY', that features maybe the best chorus here, and is only let down by the Yoruba spoken intro/outro that I don't think anyone would want to listen to over and over except Mike. After first hearing Mike through the OutKast features, I had hope and thought he'd be a favourite of mine, but he has never made a full project I've adored. Here you have some weak features (6LACK, Future, Young Thug) that without them would have me easily giving this a 3.5/5, and too many songs with a similar feeling-those choir like vocals backing Mike's raps. 'DON'T LET THE DEVIL' is the only song I'd truly save for later. While he does change it up a bit throughout the album, I also find his way of rapping at times annoying. It's hard to explain, and a minor complaint, but it's that robotic kind of flow-almost like there is a longer pause than there should be between each word. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: Slummer, Two Days, Motherless, Don't Let the Devil

I assume this is a collection of unreleased tracks from T-Rock. Some sound a touch familiar, but I don't think I remember hearing any on his albums. Some of them, like the opener and 'Trillest Pimp Alive', don't quite sound like they were mastered well which isn't the first time I've written that for a T-Rock project review. Like I've also said before, he is just such a talented rapper that it's a challenge not to enjoy almost anything he does. 45 minutes of non-skip, easy to listen to, southern hip hop. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: The Hardest of the Hard, Be About It, Make Ya Love Me, Trillest Pimp Alive, Intoxicated (Solo Version), Swing a Bottle

He should have waited a few more days and maybe changed the title to 'First Week Back'. Boosie has some songs I love (see 'Regret It') but this just has too many boring, slow songs. Most of the better moments are the songs with more energy but they still aren't worth replaying. Beats: ★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★ Hooks: ★★ Best Tracks: Jump, Words Mean More, Certified

This is a mixed bag. 'I Need You' is the clear standout and others listed below get the toe tapping but there is too much I'm not feeling from the Earth, Wind & Fire founder's solo debut. Best Tracks: Jamboree, I Need You, Lady Is Love, Invitation