King Tee's sophomore's slightly better than his debut, both in production both in rapping. The music set is provided by the main beatmaker DJ Pooh, along with Bilal Bashir, Bronek Wroblewski, J.R. Coes (aka Rashad Coes), E-Swift, King Tee and DJ Aladdin. The guests are Breeze and Ice Cube.
The production is composed of rough and solid, simple and minimal funky rhythms, with jazzy elements sometimes, light, accessible, sometimes skinny, frenetic or dark beats, although retained by boring and uninspired samples: Syl Johnson's "Different Strokes" is featured three times (four, if we count the title track remix!), a little too many.
Over a good production of DJ Pooh, but not excellent and a bit simplistic, King Tee adds simple lyrics directed towards the gangsta: however, unlike his colleagues, he manages not to exceed too much in there, juggling the typical themes of that genre while it focuses mainly on girls and braggadocio, carving party songs and some socio-conscious verses with its clear, hardcore and flowing delivery.
The album is pretty smooth, solid and fresh, musically enjoyable and maintains its own consistency despite some commercial blunders ("On the Dance Tip", "Diss You" and some scattered pop hooks), having several excellent tracks: "Played Like a Piano" is one of the least considered, on a splendid simple jazzy rhythm with piano dope, King Tee drops an excellent light and syncopated delivery, leaving the hook to the rhythm, and being joined by the only guests on the LP Ice Cube and Breeze, before concluding by dropping one last stanza, it's a sublime cut.
Highlights: "At Your Own Risk", "Take You Home", "King Tee Production", "Played Like a Piano".
Rating: 7.4/10.
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