I will admit I'm biased when it comes to Young Jeezy, this is the first album I ever bought. Jeezy is the first southern rapper that I really could listen to, and "Hypnotize" has got more than 100 plays on my Zune... I'm feeling this cat. I'm obviously not doing the reviews in chronlogical order, so "I'm feeling this cat" doesn't exactly pertain to "The Recession"... a decent album that is not worthy of Jeezy's name. I first heard of Jay Jenkins as Lil J, and paid very little mind to him... then he started featuring on Akon and company's tracks... and then he released "Thug Motivation 101" and 102... which have gone down in history chronicling actual good Southern music. What separates Jeezy from the rest of the pack is subtle, and something you probably would have never known about. Jenkins releases about a mixtape a month, mixtapes not featuring him, just his face... which makes him seem like other southern rap kingpins (T.I. and Weezy). But Jeezy's work ethic sets him apart, most people have heard how he recorded over 100 songs for TM 102 and only chose 17 to make the album. Even though the spares probably became mixtape fodder, you don't see Kanye throwing away instrumentals simply because their not album material. I believe Young Jeezy is the one thoroughly "mainstream" rapper who stands out from the heap of bullshit clouding the top of commercial rap. On a side note, this may be a longer review, because I have heard this album countless times:
The Good:
1. Hypnotize (Intro)- The perfect combination of Jeezy boasts, ad-libs, and Southern production. Shawty Redd produced almost all the great songs off TM 101. "They think I'm shallow but I think so deep/ Deep as the abyss/ So when you get a second take a look at my wrist/ Perfect...
4. J.E.E.Z.Y.- Shawty Redd produced this track too and it sounds a lot better than the two previous tracks. More ad-libbing, and another weak hook... but a decent song still.
5. I Luv It- You can tell why this was a single... not necessarily a bad song but I've heard better....
6. Go Getta- The second single, the beat bumps, the R Kelly hook is hot... but there's not much substance to this track. Still hot though.
8. The Realest- I can picture a suburban high school kid riding to this song. Maybe it's just the hook, the instrumental is too dramatic for my liking, the lyrics don't exactly grab your attention either. But it's a pretty good track still.
10. Bury Me A G- Fucking ill (PERIOD).
11. Dreamin'- Despite Keyshia Cole this song fucking rocks. A different hook and instrumental would make this a classic.
12. What You Talkin Bout'- More of a "Thug Motivation 101" track, but it's still legit. Think "Go Crazy" meets "And Then What"
14. Mr. 17.5- Fucking classic.
And that will conclude this review. After promising a classic, I couldn't even convince myself, this album does not sound as good as it used to. The few great songs on this album are among the best the South has to offer... there is a lot of filler on this album though. I'm gonna have to give TM 101 another listen, but for now...
0-20: Terrible listening experience
21-40: Maybe one good song
41-60: A few good songs
61-80: Half are good songs, half are weak
81-100: Great listening experience, almost all are great songs
I give this album a 76. Like I said, it's a great album at times, but at other times this album put me to sleep. I would still recommend a download, because there are some songs you just have to hear...
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