It seems that hip-hop is gonna buck the trend this year, finally. Normally the beginning of each year (in recent years) there's no high-profile, high-quality releases for the first few months. Here's another reason why 2011 is setting new standards. Of course, Reks already showed us his technical prowess and skill in '01 and '08, so we're no stranger to his style. I think of this as Grey Hairs Pt. 2 (no, More Grey Hairs wasn't all that great) - if you up the ante a little bit. It feels like Reks stripped some of the fat away, bulked up a bit, and came at the mic with fury. Reks never falters in his lyricism; even on oddball tracks like "Limelight", he still adds good wordplay to bolster the track ('cause that production ain't my fav...). He goes a little more introspective on this album; nearly the entire middle half consists of tales of his upbringing, his perspective on life, and what ails the black community. Yeah, it's all been done before, but Reks just brings an air of quality and polish in an overall package that is hard to dislike. Throw in some excellent production from the likes of Premo, PR, Statik, and others, and you've got yourself the makings of a contender for album of the year. Looks like it's gonna be a tough bout, though - a plus for us.
Sample Tracks
"Limelight"
"Face Off"
"Mascara (The Ugly Truth)"
Best tracks: All but "The Wonder Years"
Not-so-great: None
Beats & Production: 9/10
Rhymes & Lyricism: 10/10
Originality & Creativity: 8.5/10
Overall Grade: 92%
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