Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth

After releasing a classic album, an artist (or in this case, two artists) is faced with a pretty tough task of following it up. This is because there are pretty much two things you can do, both of which are guaranteed to have just as many naysayers as they have fans. You can either do something very similar to your classic, which could potentially be seen as repetitive and uncreative, or you can completely switch things up, and risk alienating the fanbase you created for yourself with that classic album. This is a position many artists in hip-hop have found themselves in, and perhaps none quite as much as Mobb Deep in 1996. After their alright debut Juvenile Hell, Havoc and Prodigy had released The Infamous in 1995, which in my opinion might be the quintessential '90s hip-hop album. The project not only had a brilliantly overarching message of animosity yet acceptance of the duo's violent lives in the streets, but it was also filled with some of the most haunting and intense instrumentals of the decade, and some of the most quotable and well-written verses too, especially from Prodigy, one of the scariest figures of the time in the genre. And who could forget the indisputable classics it produced - "Shook Ones Pt. II", "Survival Of the Fittest", "Give Up the Goods (Just Step)", "Hey Luv (Anything)" (wait no). The album was phenomenal, and left Mobb Deep wondering just what the hell they could potentially do to even match it, let alone top it. 

Well, what they did was take a look at the two options I mentioned above, and decided that with the correct calculations, they might just be able to pull off both of these simultaneously with just the one album. And so, in 1996, Mobb Deep released Hell On Earth, and... wow. 

All songs produced by Mobb Deep. 

1. Animal Instinct (feat. Ty Knitty & Gambino)

Immediately on Hell on Earth, Havoc lets us know that Mobb Deep aren't going to be doing too much switching up on this record - not only through his actual admitting that this album was going to be them making The Infamous again, but also through his instrumental and opening verse, the former of which is gritty yet cinematic, and the latter being violent, confrontational, and memorable, all in equal measure. I mean, Havoc's opening lines here could get stuck in your head for days. And it's not like these other chaps are slackers either, as they all continue the theme of violence and machismo, letting the listener know just what the fuck they are about to get themselves into. The structure of this song isn't the most interesting, and the instrumental isn't my favourite on the album, but as a whole package this is still a pretty damn effective way to open your album. But if you didn't like the almost classical sounding strings, I wouldn't worry - this song does sound quite different to a lot of the other tracks here. "Crime pay - but for how long 'til you reach your downfall??"

2. Drop a Gem On 'Em

The Mobb's infamous (get it?) retaliation to 2Pac's name-dropping them on "Hit Em Up", complete with one of the dopest and most iconic instrumentals of the entire '90s decade. I mean, have you heard this beat? The haunting pianos, the loud and in-your-face percussion, the ghostly female vocal samples that come in and out... shit, if I was Pac I would have been shook to my skin before the first verse started! And since it's Havoc and P in their primes here, you can expect the verses to be even more scathing, and that they are. Unlike on the first song, I do think Prodigy outshines Havoc quite a bit here, with one of the best verses on the entire record, but that isn't to say Havoc's performance is weak, because he held his own in there too. It's just that while Havoc gave the beat a firm talking to, Prodigy brutally slaughtered it, and it's mother too for good measure. His flow, his lyrics and his vocal delivery are all a significant improvement over those on the opening track, and probably over an amount of stuff on The Infamous too for that matter.  It's verses like that that make me never want to even try to rap again, since I'll inevitably never match it. In conclusion - this song is fucking incredible. 

3. Bloodsport

Easily one of the more underrated tracks on the album, this song very nearly matches the previous one in my opinion when it comes to haunting intensity. I mean, sure there's much less energy in this beat, but that can be a good thing - imagine this shit in your headphones while walking through the woods at night. Of course, you might go from dead scared to bursting out laughing when it comes to Prodigy's verse - I'm sorry, but some of the blatant homophobia in '90s hip-hop is just hilarious nowadays when listening in the world today. P's line "nigga get down, queer, stay down" is probably my favourite for sheer humour. Other than that, the rest of the lyrics on here are pretty damn great - once again, it sounds like they're dissing someone, and that someone could be one of many given the amount of disagreements Mobb Deep got into in this era. 2Pac? Keith Murray? It could be anyone. Still, I see it as one of those "if you think it's about you it probably is" situations, and it works well - this is another banger. I do wish they didn't repeat that final hook though, as that was a bit of overkill.

4. Extortion (feat. Johnny Blaze a.k.a Method Man)

Possibly my favourite song yet, thanks to the presence of the ever charismatic and incredible Method Man, who just does not miss on his guest appearances. Seriously, how the hell does he come up with this stuff? I'd say that so far, he has the second best verse on the album, after P's on "Drop a Gem On Em", and even then it's damn close. The instrumental on this one also helps with my positive feelings towards it, as it's funkier than some of the previous beats, with a dope-ass bassline and some ghoulish synths moving around over the drums in keeping with the spooky sound of this album. Havoc and P make light work of the instrumental, but it's Meth that really sends this one over the edge, with his wonderful flow and humorous lyrics that are actually a nice relief from the cold blooded threats of our two hosts. This is one of Mobb Deep's best deep cuts, and a classic that I wish more people knew about. 

5. More Trife Life

Following up one of my favourite joints from The Infamous, Havoc goes it alone to tell a most likely fictional but still very entertaining story about being set up by an ex-girlfriend he went to meet with. I won't spoil more of the story for anyone who hasn't heard it, but I will say that this is a really nice switch in subject matter, and this track feels much more directioned and focused than some of the other songs we've heard up to this point. Not to mention, the instrumental is also incredible, mixing intensive percussion similar to that on "Drop a Gem On Em" with the haunting instrumentation that reminds me more of "Bloodsport". While I don't quite enjoy this as much as the original "Trife Life", it does come close, and that tells you all you need to know about the quality of this one. 

6. Man Down (feat. Big Noyd)

This song is most notable for it's multiple shots aimed at Def Squad, with references to the group's "spaced out shit", and also to Redman's classic "Time 4 Sumaksion". Of course, P had addressed them before on The Infamous, but this is the first time he (and Big Noyd too) made it clear exactly who they were talking to, and also the first time the disses were in actual song form. As a big, big Redman fan I'm not as keen on these disses, but otherwise this is yet another top class Mobb Deep song, with one of the more loud beats on the album that once again feels straight out of a horror film - only this time perhaps more of a comedy one. The rhymes on here are some of the most memorable on the whole album too, and Big Noyd once again proves himself as easily the best Mobb Deep affiliate with a fantastic, very quotable final verse. This is another brilliant song. 

7. Can't Get Enough Of It (feat. General G)

Completely diverting from the harsh sounds of all of the previous tracks, Havoc's beat here sounds more sentimental and sorrowful, like the sort of thing you would see on those "Dead Homies" joints that rappers always feel the need to do. Oddly, however, the Mobb don't appear to switch things up much lyrically here, offering similar aggressive content to every other track - the difference here being that their vocals are given a sad and depressing air thanks to the instrumental. General G's feature on here is pretty fun, as his voice certainly stands out, and I enjoy the verses from our hosts plenty... but this is the first flawed song on the album, less because of the strange atmosphere of the beat, and more because of Prodigy's terrible sung chorus, which makes absolutely no sense on the song, and sounds corny as hell. Make no mistake, I still enjoy this song a lot... but don't ask me what they were thinking with that. 

8. Nighttime Vultures (feat. Lex Diamonds a.k.a Raekwon)

Isn't it amazing how so many instrumentals can have almost exactly the same feel, and yet all sound so brilliant and diverse? This track makes up for earlier's "More Trife Life", as while Havoc provides the hook, he has no verse, and instead leaves his spot for the second Wu-Tang member to appear, Raekwon. While his verse here is nowhere near as incredible as Meth's on "Extortion", I still like it a lot, and Prodigy does even better, with a verse that was surely a big inspiration behind Eminem's song "3 a.m.". There's not really too much to say on this one - it's just yet another really great song. 

9. G.O.D. Pt. III

Probably the scariest song in the entire Mobb Deep catalogue. Over the theme tune from Scarface and some phenomenally intense drums, the pair rip shit up with aggressive verses that fit just perfectly with this beat - I almost feel like this is the quintessential beat for Mobb Deep, despite the fact that "Shook Ones Pt. II" and "Drop a Gem On Em" exist. Perhaps my favourite part of the entire song is the drop in after the ridiculous skit at the start - those synths exude menace and paranoia, and almost make me want to run screaming for the hills as I hear them come in, that's how horrifying they are. Sure, the effect isn't as strong once you get about halfway through the song, but even then it never really loses its oomph, and the rapping always keeps things afloat - "horror tales in braille for the vision impaired" is a personal favourite line. Overall, this is easily one of the best songs here, and one of the best Mobb Deep songs full stop. What a banger. 

10. Get Dealt With

Dare I say it, one of the more chilled out tracks on this album, even if the rhymes typically will occasionally make you take a glance over your shoulder if you're bumping this in the street. One thing I think The Infamous has over this album is that it's not quite as one-dimensional - this album always felt a little too much in the same vein to me, and there are points where it feels like it's rehashing it's old ideas. Thankfully, this song keeps things fresh by having a more relaxed mood to it, and it works as a great shorter track in-between some of the more intense moments on the record. It's a dope one. 

11. Shook Ones Pt. I

There are many positives to living in the UK and not the US. Free healthcare, incredibly strict gun laws, no chance of being massacred by a bear, and so on. But perhaps the best advantage for us is that our Hell On Earth CDs came packaged with this gem, the original version of Mobb Deep's most notorious song. Of course, I'm talking about "Shook Ones Pt. I", which would probably be regarded as one of the best tracks of the '90s if it weren't overshadowed by its sequel. Whilst the chorus and Havoc's verse (the last third of which is performed by Prodigy here) are basically the same, Prodigy's opening verse is very different, as is the instrumental, which is more atmospheric and wavy, but at the same time just as gritty, as the original. Seriously, if you haven't heard this I'd check it out ASAP, as it's a worthy companion to Pt. II. What a track.

12. Hell On Earth (Front Lines)

The most notorious song on the entire album, and I guess you could say the emotional climax too, as this is the most somber and saddening track on the album - it's also utterly phenomenal. Let's talk about the beat first, which is a masterpiece. The drums are fast paced, but calmer than a lot of the others throughout this record, and keep a sense of urgency while still maintaining the depressing and bleak feel of the track. Then, we have the instruments on top playing the bassline and the melody, which come together to create a simultaneously relaxing and haunting musical backdrop for the MCs. This beat is masterful, and what's even more incredible is that the pair manage to do it justice, with some fantastic verses, and one of the more memorable hooks of the whole album. Inevitably, it's P who is the MVP of this one - his opening verse is enough to send you flailing off your chairs in astonishment, and when he comes back in for another verse at the end, you'll probably flail off again, cartoon-style. This man was truly a monster on the mic, and it's songs like these that prove this to full effect. R.I.P. Prodigy, man... . I cannot stress enough how much of a classic this track is - I envy those that will get to hear it for the first time. Damn this shit is dope!!

13. Give It Up Fast (feat. Nas & Big Noyd)

You know what could make this album even better than it already was? Nas. And that's exactly who they got, for this track that sonically sounds kind of like the first song, with it's cinematic instrumental that implements some orchestral strings (or at least I think that's what they are). Nas actually starts this one off (following the sound of a plane landing to tie into the story), and he does an excellent job as you'd expect from the greatest rapper of all time (in my humble opinion) - everyone else does their best to match his performance, with Prodigy coming out on top. Seriously, I think P may well have been the best rapper in the world in '96 - either him or Andre 3000. This isn't one of my favourite instrumentals on the album, and this track certainly isn't hugely memorable, but when you're listening to it it's as entertaining as could be. Great stuff. 

14. Still Shinin'

That title reminds me of another fantastic rapper from this year, Busta Rhymes, who had released a song with almost this exact same title months before this Mobb Deep record came out. I remember not really caring too much about this song when I was first getting into this album, probably because the beat is more soulful than menacing, which doesn't really fit the Mobb Deep sound in my opinion. Upon relistening today, however, I've gained a newfound appreciation for this song, which sees a more positive side to this duo, and seems more of a celebratory track than anything on this album or their previous effort. This song is a small island of positivity and happiness in a sea of murder and violence, and I very much appreciate it for that. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy that so much this time. 

15. Apostle's Warning

The final song on this album sees Havoc using a female vocal sample similar to on the last track, only this song fits more conventionally within this record sonically. Havoc's vocal presence on this track is barely notable though, as Prodigy's verse is far longer, and also goes into some areas which he hasn't explored yet on this album, such as the paranoia that he won't be able to see his child grow up as he'll be killed on the streets while his kid is still a baby. He makes you feel his words on this one, and it's one of the more powerful moments on the album - of course, this wouldn't be a Mobb Deep track without the murderous and violent moments, and there's plenty of that too ("I won't snap at you, I'm going for throats" comes to mind). This was probably the perfect way to finish the record off, with a nice balance of typical Mobb Deep with more introspective stuff. It's yet another brilliant tune.

Some pressings of this album came with a bonus track titled "In the Long Run", but sadly I don't own that particular version. Once I've located this track, I'll come back here and review it. 

Coming off of Mobb Deep's previous record, this album had some pretty planet-sized boots to fill, and while I personally prefer The Infamous, since it's a little more diverse and quotable (and also obviously more innovative), I would completely understand someone saying that they preferred this - that's how incredible of a follow up it is. On this album, Havoc took the sound of The Infamous, muted any jazzy and funky inspiration that album took (whilst throwing Q-Tip out of the studio like Jazzy Jeff), and then turned the horrorcore right the fuck up, making for an even darker and bleaker listen that is ideally played whilst sitting on a rock in the middle of Venus during the summer months, when all the lava is bubbling up around you. Not just because this album feels like that, but also because that would help match the paranoia and fear that this album succeeds in expressing to the listener, in a similar way to The Infamous. I do feel that this record fails in bringing across the violence as a bad thing, which is very clear to me on The Infamous, but that's alright - this record works as a perfect companion to that album as an insight into the minds of killers in their darker moments, when they really do feel the motivation to kill and torture. Sure, the album is called Hell On Earth, but a lot of the time Havoc and Prodigy make their surroundings sound more like their personal heaven, with the amount of passion that goes into their diatribes here. And how could I possibly end this review without talking about Prodigy, who ups his game here even further than on The Infamous. Havoc is perhaps less essential on this album, but the best Prodigy verses here are his best full stop, and there's a couple that could legitimately stand as top ten rap verses of all time. This album isn't just the follow up to The Infamous - it's an incredible piece in its own right, one that aims to delve even further into the mind of a gang member on the streets, and does this successfully through some incredible rapping, and some similarly incredible production. Don't ask me how Mobb Deep managed it, but with Hell on Earth they actually created a worthy follow up to The Infamous. And if that doesn't set them firmly in place as hip-hop legends, then I don't know what the hell could. Thanks for reading!

Best Tracks: Drop a Gem On 'Em, Bloodsport, Extortion, More Trife Life, G.O.D. Pt. III, Hell On Earth (Front Lines), Apostle's Warning

Worst Tracks: Can't Get Enough Of It

Catch up on more Mobb Deep write-ups over here!

The Lil Wayne discography, pt. 3 - 500 Degreez

God, I don’t want to do this.

You may remember about four months ago I reviewed Lil Wayne’s first two albums, Tha Block Is Hot and Lights Out, starting a run through of the guy’s discography that I’ve wanted to do for a while, since I hoped his catalogue would dissuade me from my previous opinion that his music was overhyped commercial crap.  Unfortunately, these two albums didn’t really do that at all. Weezy’s debut was pretty terrible, sounding like it was made on a budget of £4 including food and water for the engineers, and while his sophomore record just about worked for the most part, it still didn’t work quite well enough to convince me that I liked the guy. Sure, his ear for beats seemed to have been cleared out, but his subject matter and lyrics were just as goofy and try-hard as on his debut. The only thing compelling me to continue this catalogue is the fact that it’s supposed to get a lot better, with the releases of Weezy’s Tha Carter albums throughout the mid to late 2000s.

Unfortunately, before I can get to that, I have to listen to this. Bloody hell.

Wayne’s third studio album, 500 Degreez, is notable mainly for beginning his infamous beef with fellow Cash Money spitter Juvenile, who was sadly the only member of the crew to actually provide decent guest appearances on the first two Wayne albums (he also made the BEST Cash Money track, “Back That Azz Up”, and you can fight me to argue that one). Speaking of “Back That Azz Up”, that song had appeared on an album called 400 Degreez, and so obviously Wayne naming his album a 100 degreez above that insinuated that he was the “hotter” member of the crew now. Which was true, but obviously Juvenile didn’t like that one bit.

Other than that small piece of history, however, this album is largely forgotten in the Wayne discography, even when compared to its predecessors. Whether that is a signifier of the album’s quality or not… well, I guess I’ll bear the burden of finding that out. But I should say that I don’t exactly have high expectations for this one. I mean, goddammit Wayne – could you get some new producers for once??

And so, as a punishment for not doing any revision over the Christmas holidays (or more accurately, another way of procrastinating from said revision), here's my first reaction to Lil Wayne's third studio album - 500 Degreez.

All tracks are produced by Mannie Fresh (a moniker that will surely become less and less convincing with each passing track), except where noted.

1. Fly Talkin'

This intro is hilariously terrible, and doesn't sound like what you'd expect from the album cover at all. Still, that doesn't mean I ever want to hear it again.

2. Look At Me

For the instrumental on this one, it seems like Mannie attempted to impersonate a Neptunes beat, only without any of the class or the actual instrumentation. I could make a better beat than this. Still, at least Wayne sounds pretty good on here, with a nice flow, and vocal mixing that really makes you feel like you're in a club in the early 2000s. The beat sucks, and the chorus is also pretty weak, but at least this isn't as bad as a lot of what was on his debut.

3. Way Of Life (feat. Big Tymers & TQ)

The lead single for this album, notable for the obvious influence it takes from 2Pac's "Hit Em Up", something that at least makes this track a little bit entertaining - this beat rides along nicely, even if it is a bit soft and anticlimactic. Birdman and Lil Wayne's back and forth is also reasonably entertaining, and while TQ on the chorus is painfully mediocre, it's still not the worst male R&B contribution to a Wayne album. Still, I'd be lying if I said I actually liked this one - it just feels like generic radio bullshit to me. Literally nothing about this makes me want to come back to it. I'm sorry, but I just can't bring myself to enjoy this. 

4. Big Tigger Live On The Radio

Self important skit, but then again this is a rap album, so what did I expect. And damn the music in the background here is good!

5. Gangsta and Pimps (feat. Baby)

The first song on the album to have a beat that I actually would describe as "good" (the previous skit doesn't count) comes on this joint with a misspelt title (well, I'll assume it's misspelt). Of course, the song itself isn't that good, as the chorus from an uncredited Jazze Pha is easily the worst thing on the album thus far, but at least they got close. Because yes - Wayne doesn't sound too bad here, and Birdman does an OK job too (I still find it hilarious that he used to actually call himself "Baby"). The verses over this beat sound great, which proves to me that these guys are capable of making a good song - it's a shame they ruin it with a trash hook, and a complete lack of lyrical substance. Also, that song title is making me cringe more and more by the second, so I'd better move on now. 

6. Lovely 

Following up a song entitled "Gangsta and Pimps" with a song called "Lovely" might be the most hilarious thing Wayne has ever been involved in, not counting his live performances and claim that he was "the best rapper alive", of course. This song is anything but hilarious though, largely because it is quite easily the worst song in the Wayne discography so far. From the terribly cheap and hollow instrumental, the disgustingly bad chorus, and Wayne's rambling lyrics and flows, everything here screams "cheap, effortless tat". Surely not even Wayne's biggest fan enjoys this song. This sucks, man!!

7. Gangsta Shit (feat. Petey Pablo)

I was quite looking forward to this one, since it appeared to be a fan favourite on the album, but unfortunately it presented me with pretty similar problems to every other song here. It sounds cheap, the chorus is terrible (this time not even attempting to be catchy) and the subject matter is redundant as all hell. Petey Pablo's opening verse is merely alright, meanwhile, Wayne does his best to convince me that he's going to kill me if I mess with him, but in his stupid goblin voice that he seems to use on every other goddamn track, completely ruining the intended effect. My favourite part of this song was the outro, where the beat felt a little more energetic for some reason. Overall, however, this song dissapointed me - it's sure not the worst song here, but I don't really enjoy it much either. 

8. Big Tigger Live On The Radio

A continuation of the last skit, only without the obnoxious self-love. These skits are surprisingly good. 

9. Bloodline

At first, I was really ready to call this song trash, as the beat initially sounded so devoid of depth, and Wayne sounded tired as hell on this track. However, soon I kind of got into the vibe of this one, and by the end of the second verse I was ready to say with confidence that this was the best song on the album so far. Because goddamn, I actually liked this one. Sure, Wayne's lyrics still aren't impressing me, but the groovy, chilled out beat certainly had me in a nice trance, and the chorus is catchy as hell - also, Wayne's voice fits perfectly over this beat, and the line "Nod your head to this bitch til it fall off" (not rapped, just spoken) actually made me smile. I hope there are better tracks to come, but at least I can say that I fully enjoyed one track on here. 

10. Where You At

Goddammit Wayne where was this guy from tracks 1 to 7?? Not only is Mannie's instrumental on this track absolutely banging, with harsh keys and instruments that don't sound hollow as Snoop Dogg's head for once, but Wayne actually brings the flows and lyrics, and sounds angry as hell on this track. He was right about me not wanting to hear more - this is pretty much as good as I think this album is gonna get. This song is just a hardcore banger, and that's enough for me. Great stuff. 

11. Worry Me

I think I've discovered one of the many problems with these early Wayne albums. While the last two tracks didn't suffer from this issue, this song and many others incorporate these nursery-rhyme ass melodies into the instrumentals, which then completely disregards Wayne's general message, which is almost certainly about how he is going to kill you, whilst simultaneously drowning in money and having sex with your girlfriend. This song is a prime example of this, which is another way of saying that it was terrible. Sorry!

12. 500 Degreez

Ah, just what we needed during these dire times - a title track. The sinister air of the production and Wayne's slick flow meant that I just about enjoyed this one, but that doesn't come without it's consequences. Sure, the vocoder thing on the chorus sounds cool, but that doesn't change the fact that you'll probably burst right into laughter as soon as you hear what he is saying. Still, I enjoyed the dark feel of this track enough to say that it's a highlight here for me. 

13. Go Hard

Originally, I was gonna rip on the squeaky delivery of "Weezy Baby" at the start, but as I slowly made my way through the rest of this song, I realised that that would be like taking a plate of raw meat and rotten potatoes, and criticising it for being served on a chipped plate. Also, this beat makes my head ache. If I was a cynicist, I might observe that the amount of songs I've thought about skipping through less than a minute in on this album is probably signifying that this discography dive was a mistake, but thankfully I'm not, so I'll just say that I haven't quite got into him yet. Still, this album is really tiring me out. 

14. Young'n Blues

Well, I never thought I'd hear Wayne act like an actual human on a record, but here we are. (Just kidding - he did have some more emotional cuts on the previous albums, not that I can remember their names right now). This track sees Wayne showing remorse for his treatment of his baby mother, and how now he feels alone and like none of the women he is around really know him. The chorus on this song absolutely blows, and is seriously one of the worst on this entire album, but still, having some actually engaging lyrical content and a nice message meant that I was able to enjoy this song a lot. It's a decent song, but bear in mind it's not exactly being compared to the pinnacle of hip-hop here. 

15. Believe That (feat. Blaque & Mannie Fresh) (prod. Jazze Pha)

Holy hell this song was bad. I'm not sure if it's quite as bad as "Lovely" from earlier, but it's close, and that should tell you all you need to know. The amount of times the words "believe that, daddy" are repeated in this song - by a group of grown men!!! - is enough to drive any casual listener insane. The hell was this??

16. Rob Nice Live On The Radio

Okay I didn't like this skit as much as the others. 

17. Fuck You (feat. Big Tymers)

Were there no other good rappers that Mannie could have given this beat? While the instruments once again sound cheap as hell, the melodies themselves on this instrumental along with the drum pattern create an aggressive, intense atmosphere that is perfect for the confrontational title of the track - it's just a shame that Lil Wayne, Birdman and Mannie Fresh decided to rap over this one themselves, and are terrible. I still like the title and the beat, but this track has some serious wasted potential, man. 

18. What Does Life Mean To Me (feat. TQ & Big Tymers)

Can these guys just fucking shut up already??

19. Get That Dough (feat. Baby, Tateeze & Cristale) (prod. Jazze Pha)

I was complaining about Mannie Fresh, but if the other producers available to Wayne are this awful then you can't really blame him for only working with the one guy. This beat is stagnant and completely forgettable, and while the perspective of some female MCs is refreshing, Birdman's presense certainly isn't. Wayne isn't on this song enough for me to care anyway, so I think I'll just move on to the next one. 

20. Fo Sheezy

It seems the generic song title generator is working wonders for Wayne on this album. It's a shame his pen game isn't - beside one diss towards Juvenile I found absolutely nothing worth of writing about here. Oh, except for the constant misogyny that completely disspells anything he said on the somewhat decent "Young'n Blues" from earlier. It seems that Wayne doesn't even bother sequencing his own albums. Well this sucked.

21. Fly Talkin' Go Home

A long, underwhelming waste of my time. Kind of like this album, come to think of it. 

It's not that I hate Lil Wayne or anything - my review for Lights Out should alone prove that. But I do kind of hate a lot of his early music. It just feels to me like every single goddamn album so far has been almost completely devoid of humanity or introspective content, and has instead been entirely stuffed with songs about drug dealing, murdering, having sex with people's girlfriends and being inexplicably rich - pretty much every characteristic of hip-hop that leads to it getting a bad name, despite the fact that there's a ton of great music without any of that content that people are missing. Of course, I have to understand that Wayne knew what he was doing and was just trying to make the money to feed his kid by creating the music the mainstream supposedly wanted, but that doesn't change the fact that this album's constant barrage of macho attitude makes it a slog to get through, and resulted in me often tuning out from Wayne's actual lyrics, whether that be on purpose or not. Of course, this wasn't usually a good idea, because Wayne is actually the best part of this album. As usual, most of Mannie Fresh's beats sound cheap and nasty, like they were made on the 2002 equivalent of GarageBand, and the constant loops and lack of switch ups make every song a bloody pain to get through, especially when they're all at least 3 and a half minutes long, some stretching to 5. And don't even get me started on these choruses - there are about two on here that actually work, and more that actually ruined a song's chances of being quality (looking at you, "Gangsta and Pimps"). The rest were just little bits of shit in a sea of sewage, which is harsh, but kind of how I feel about most of this album. This project represents the bling era perfectly - the only issue being that it was about four years too late for that and didn't really end up making Weezy a household name - ironically, Juvenile's 400 Degreez was actually a far more successful record. Thankfully, Wayne's albums would soon transition into his Tha Carter series, which, God help me, is supposed to be actually good. So, I'll catch you all next time, as we dive into the really important part of the Lil Wayne catalogue. Peace!

Best Track: "Where You At"

Worst Track: "Lovely"

52%

Check out more on Lil Wayne over here.