In 2020, mafia rap had a big new wave, Pounds from Rochester didn't let it slip, took his surfboard and headed to ride the wave with his fourth studio album, released four years after his last solo. With appropriate title and cover, the rapper secures twelve cuts for a total of about half an hour, and several underground guests including Primo Profit, 38 Spesh and G4 Jag.
Spittzwell offers excellent production for the first cut, tense jazzy rhythm, distant piano in the background, with downtempo drum and excellent sample; Pounds slow smoothness syncopated delivery, with his rough raw flow, dope bridge with sax samples left loose, and skit on the mafia for the hook/outro. "Hard Times" has a good jazzy boom bap with skinny drum machine, dark samples and dark vibes, made by producer Northlake.
Primo Profit is the second guest and puts his straight cut between the highlights, aided by the beat chosen by the Syracuse producer Reallyhiiim: jazzy boom bap with slow heavy syncopated drum machine, splendid jazzy sample with strings that taste of mafia vibes, female sample soul and Pounds slow syncopated heavy delivery, then Primo Profit keeps the same delivery style and slices the piece. A short track follows, with heavy and slow drum and an honest melodic sample, before "Food Savers", opened by 38 Spesh on an energetic jazzy rhythm with dark samples.
Pounds himself produces "Play 4 the $", splendid sample from a classic, energetic heavy drum machine, smooth raw delivery, here he sounds like a cross between Jadakiss and Big Pun. G4 Jag and Brad Piff introduce themselves as guests on "Earners" jazzy boom bap, made by Beatnick Dee, Pounds continues to flow well on these rhythms. A skit is the prelude to the last four short choices. After a couple of other jazzy bap booms — the second one has a good soul sample and an eccentric dark piano — JoJo Pellegrino spice up "War Report", while Blass 89 is the latest guest on the album in the final "Options".
No low tracks, no burrs, nothing to complain: there are a dozen producers, but the final sound is coherent and rightfully dirty, Pounds keeps it on the streets and from my point of view he does a laudable job here. Recommended to mafia rap fans.
Highlights: "T.I.N.M.", Elder Statesmen", "Food Savers", "Play 4 the $", "Earners", "War Report".
Rating: 7/10.
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