On Bleek’s third effort, we see a continued expansion in song variety. The Just Blaze-produced 'Hypnotic' stands out with its laid-back, West Coast-inspired vibe that is nothing like anything from Bleek's first two albums. Rell kills the hook for 'Understand Me Still' for Bleek's best heartfelt song up until this point. Once again, we see the 'PYT' influence as we did on his last album with 'I Wanna Love U' (produced by Kanye West) with Donell Jones covering the hook from MJ's classic. The beat on 'War' could be slightly better, but it bangs, as does '1, 2 Y'all' being one of hundreds of songs to sample 'U.F.O.' by ESG. 'R.O.C.' is the only straight skip for me that finishes the album off poorly. Although the album loses some momentum midway, slipping into more generic G-rap territory for a couple of songs, it ultimately delivers stronger consistency and improved replay value compared to Bleek’s earlier work. His lack of a distinctive vocal presence still holds him back, especially when sharing tracks with the original voices of T.I., Jay-Z, Freeway, and M.O.P., but the production and songwriting mark a progression from his first two albums. It’s definitely worth a spin or two. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Roc-a-Fella Get Low Respect It, Hypnotic, Understand Me Still

This is a clear step up from Bleek’s debut. The production improves right from the opening track, and several guest features enhance the project. It feels less generic overall, with more thoughtful songwriting and sharper hooks. Beanie Sigel’s commanding presence across three tracks is a highlight, and Jay-Z features on five cuts, adding some extra weight. That said, many of my favourite moments are Bleek solos, especially the closer, which flips Foreigner’s 'I Want to Know What Love Is' for the hook, and 'I Get High', where Bleek casually, if questionably, blends themes of simultaneously driving and smoking. The only thing I really dislike here is 'Bounce Bitch' that has a beat more like the bad stuff on his debut, than most of what's here. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: I Get High, We Get Low, Hustlers, All Types of Shit, They'll Never Play Me, In My Life

This is a clear product of its time and not in a good way. The late '90s saw a wave of generic, uninspired mainstream rap, and this album fits right into that mould. I've never been a fan of some of the beats his mentor, Jay-Z, was picking around this time, but these are even worse. "Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield felt that Bleek came across as a cliché-filled rapper that lacked witticism in his lyrics and wasted the beats given to him by his producers." I agree with most of this, but the beats aren't wasted. They are poor too. I checked this album out after listening to Bleek's new 2025 album, 'APT 3D', that is much better than this in all areas from the production to Bleek having more to say and performing better too. Beats: ★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★ Hooks: ★★ Best Tracks: Stay Alive in NYC, Regular Cat

This is much better than I expected at first but seeing the producer credits gave me more hope. And rightly so. The production from some legends on the boards is on point and Bleek goes hard here. Beats: ★★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: Durag Bleek, You Should Know, I’m the Type, King's Design, Choosing You, Word to HOV

I really like this project. Aside from the usual tired-as-hell reminders that he used to sell coke, Malice comes in sharp from the first beat. The energy stays high, and he brings it every time he touches the mic. Some of the hooks could hit harder. Lines like, "You don’t buy it, it’s fake news" feel stuck in a specific moment, but they’re still catchy enough to separate themselves from the verses, which is important. When that hook-versus contrast fades, the whole song can fall flat. And there are also great ones like on 'Sky Crack' - "I hear the horns!" He does occasionally fall into that Pusha T habit of saying a lot while not actually saying much, but the production, his flow, and delivery carry it through. It’s a consistent, slept-on 10-track album, albeit some of the tracks do blur together a bit too much in production. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★★☆ Best Tracks: #Ltdbtd (Intro), So Woke, Sky Crack, Let's Die 1. #Ltdbtd (Intro) 85 2. Fake News 75 3. Lu.4:5 71 4. Jesus Christ 70 5. So Woke 85 6. Why Cry 72 7. Sky Crack 80 8. Done and Said 70 9. Shame on Me 73 10. Let's Die 77