One of the worst Jackie Chan films, maybe the worst. There’s still some decent fight choreography and stunts but it’s lightyears from his best, and the last act is weighed down by dodgy Matrix-style CGI once Jackie’s character gains powers. The comic relief from his sidekick, played by Lee Evans, is unbearable. He’s so over the top you want to smack him rather than laugh. At times he feels like a talking Mr Bean.
I love Big L. He was an incredible rapper and there was and is no one like him. This starts in a promising way. 'u aint gotta chance' is great and the level of rapping from both Nas and L is not valued enough in modern debates. It reminds surface level rappers like Mac Miller what being a great rapper actually is. It's hard to explain, but he raps like he has just taken a breath and the air is still in his mouth. "It's Mac Miller, bitch." I've never been a fan. It's sparked a lot of debate too amongst hip hop heads who question why features and producers here aren't artists who were actually in-tight with Big L or at least around when he was rapping.
'7 Minute Freestyle' is a highlight but L clearly outclasses Jay-Z. Towards the end of Jay's second verse in particular he loses control and it is obvious L walked in with a clear plan and Jay just tried to hang. The Miilkbone 'Keep It Real' instrumental underneath is still amazing. 'Fred Samuel Playground' has a high quality Method Man verse but the song gets interrupted by an interlude which hurts the flow. It fits the theme, but it should have been put at the start or the end. 'All Alone (Quiet Storm Mix)' is dope but unfortunately too short to really sink in. The high energy hook for the bonus track 'Put the Mic Down' is dope and helps the album end in an engaging manner.
Overall this is a good project. Anything with Big L rapping is always going to be hard to mess up too much. I just wanted more material we haven't already heard, fewer features, and more actual structured songs instead of so many freestyles which dominate the second half. Despite the argument fans are having that I mentioned earlier, apart from maybe the Mac Miller feature, this feels fairly authentic and respectful which cannot always be said about posthumous releases.
Beats: ★★★☆
Rapping/Bars: ★★★★☆
Hooks: ★★★
Best Tracks: u aint gotta chance, RHN (Real Harlem Niggas), 7 Minute Freestyle, How Will I Make It (Park West High School Mix), Put the Mic Down
There are a few catchy moments, but overall it’s too slow, same-same and pretty forgettable to be a recommended R&B project, and she never really takes off vocally.
Best Tracks: Any Other Night, I Can't Wait, Dun Put Up Too Long
Most of the time this sounds like you’d expect a mid-2000s non-major label hip hop album from two former Bad Boy artists to sound. After listening to Loon’s mostly pop-leaning debut and G Dep’s g-rap debut, I was curious to see how their styles would mesh, but this leans far more towards the latter’s lane. There are a couple of shots at Puff and some diss tracks aimed at Jim Jones/Dipset as well.
It starts well enough on the opener, but drops off quickly. 'Code of the Streets' has some really low energy rapping. Then 'Noodle' is weak with minimalist production, and 'Shrimp & Lobsta' is even weaker. The best tracks, 'Remember' and 'Special', sit between the worst two. 'Remember' has some nice soulful production and truly stands out here. I’m sure the sample has been used before, but it still works. 'Like Me' is a fairly generic but passable R&B/Pop-rap song with Ginuwine on the hook. Then there’s the Jim Jones diss, and a generic g-rap cut in 'Blap Blap'. 'The Story' is worth a listen as well that sits right behind the best two with enjoyable energy.
Overall, this is a mostly forgettable mid-2000s side project with a couple of genuinely good songs sandwiched between dull filler and weak production. Outside of 'Remember' and 'Special', there’s very little here that stands out.
Best Tracks: Remember, Special
Beats: ★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★
Hooks: ★★
Callin' 60
Code of the Streets 54
Noodle 30
Remember 76
Special 70
Shrimp & Lobsta 20
Like Me 63
Elmo
Jimmy (Jim Jones Diss) 60
Blap Blap 54
The Story 67
Outro
The players seem to teleport - the frame rate and animations are that poor. The only button you need is X just like the old Sensible Soccer games. When you play a friendly, it seems like the teams can't be changed and they're just randomised. The game is a touch too fast and the AI is poor. In a world of FIFA and ISS/PES they seemed to decide not to try to compete but instead try to stick with the well known Sensible Soccer simplicity, and that's okay if this was well programed, but it isn't.