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Young Jeezy Album Review: LET'S GET IT: THUG MOTIVATION 101

"You ni$$az just write, I recollect...." - Young Jeezy,"Thug Motivation 101".

Young Jeezy in da house..."That's Right!!!!!". Straight out of ATL is Young Jeezy (aka "The Snowman") here to give us the very surprising LET'S GET IT: THUG MOTIVATION 101. Right now in Georgia you won't here much else besides Young Jeezy. While I'm sure a few folks are still playing that T.I., Young Jeezy has pretty much taken over ATL, GA and soon the rap world. Once in a while a hiphop album comes out that just catches you off guard cause you buy it having low expectations but instead you get some of the best quality hiphop you've bought in ages.

It's kind of like when I first bought 50 Cent's GET RICH OR DIE TRYING album; I expected nothing when purchasing it but got all I wanted and more. While I won't put this album on par with GET RICH OR DIE TRYING, I have to tell you this album straight shocked me almost as much due to its quality. I wasn't even going to review the album because I had just done a review on his group BOYZ N DA HOOD. Now remember to my credit I did mention that out of the four guys in Boyz N Da Hood that Young Jeezy had the most potential but what he does on this album dwarfs EVERY effort given on the Boyz N Da Hood debut album. I mean it's almost as if Young Jeezy was forced to be in Boyz N Da Hood or something so he made sure he kept only his so-so efforts for Boyz N Da Hood knowing he his good stuff was going to be saved for his solo album. The quality of this album is staggering. This guy has come out of no where to give us an album that is easily in the running for album of the year. The funny thing is Young Jeezy swears he ain't no rapper but instead a street hustler who just likes to "recollect" on his street life. Hearing the album I guess I can almost buy that since almost EVERY lyric is about drugs, the streets, or cash money. Plus while he's adequate as a rapper he's not nearly as skilled as most MC's out there. But like 50 Cent, what Jeezy lacks in lyrical complexity, he more than makes up for it with style and humor.

To this day I never bought into the idea that 50 Cent had great lyrical skills but man does he know how to entertain. Similarly Young Jeezy has found the right formula to entertain us with his easy going "grown man" flow and his patented repetitions of his hook phrases like "Heyyyy", "Yeeaaah", "That's Right" combined with a comical yet arrogant "ha, ha" laugh. And of course like the old "In Da Club" 50 Cent, Jeezy has made sure the production on the album is beyond reproach. You won't find any wack production on this album period. Combine the ability to entertain with top notch production and the backing of a major label like Def Jam and it's not hard to see how Jeezy has everyone talking about him right now.

I love still knowing that quality hiphop albums like this one still exist in these current days of hiphop mediocrity but I love even better when a new talented producer hits the national scene - Shawty Redd please "enta da stage"..it's your time to shine. While the lead single "And Then What" will give the album its much deserved publicity thanks to Mannie Fresh's universal production appeal, it's producer Shawty Redd who single-handedly gives the album its hardcore feel that puts this album on another level. ALL SEVEN of the tracks Shawty Redd produces are off the charts. Right from the intro to the last song on the album Shawty's presence is felt. He's responsible for producing the pounding intro song "Thug Motivation 101". I feel for anyone who has their bass on high when this song kicks in because the bass is so deep it'll either blow your speakers or blow your back window out. In fact the whole album is made Down South style in that the production is catered to those lucky enough to have booming systems. If you don't have a "system" you honestly miss out on half the fun of this album. But besides the intro, other Shawty Redd produced standouts include "Gangsta Music', "Bottom of Da Map (Hey)", "Get Ya Mind Right", "Trap or Die" (featuring the legendary Bun B), "That's How Ya Feel" and "Air Forces". "Gangsta Music" showcases some of Jeezy's best lyrics as he spits "I'm a real ni$$a, and I don't like rappers...Run with real ni$$az that'll cut your throat, and they don't drink Pepsi, they just sell coke..".

The crazy thing though is that while Shawty Redd ensures hardcore fluidity throughout the entire album with his hardcore production, other producers step to the plate and deliver too. Almost stealing the show is the Akon produced "Soul Survivor" which showcases Akon's singing skills and is an example of why singing is not all bad. I hate singing when it's cheesy and a bunch of crooning but when one uses his melody to reinforce a gangsta/political ideology singing almost becomes more powerful than rap. In this song Akon IS the show. Thankfully this will be the next single off the album! Other production of note occurs on "Bang" featuring T.I. and Lil Scrappy - by Jazze Pha, "Standing Ovation" - by Drummer Boy, "Let's Get It/Sky's the Limit" - by Midnight Black and "Talk to Em" - by Frank Nitti.

It's hard to find the best song out of this latter group but "Standing Ovation" wins out because of the "clapping" chorus flows so well. The only song I don't care for is "My Hood" because of the chorus but other than that though the album is straight flavor. Debut albums like this don't come out too often. Very rarely does an artist get it right on his first major record label solo release but it seems like years were spent making this album. It's that good. I'm done talking. Go out and do yourself a favor and cop the album. You'll be surprised.

Benz0
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