This is a clear product of its time and not in a good way. The late '90s saw a wave of generic, uninspired mainstream rap, and this album fits right into that mould. I've never been a fan of some of the beats his mentor, Jay-Z, was picking around this time, but these are even worse. "Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield felt that Bleek came across as a cliché-filled rapper that lacked witticism in his lyrics and wasted the beats given to him by his producers." I agree with most of this, but the beats aren't wasted. They are poor too. I checked this album out after listening to Bleek's new 2025 album, 'APT 3D', that is much better than this in all areas from the production to Bleek having more to say and performing better too.
Beats: ★★
Rapping/Bars: ★★
Hooks: ★★
Best Tracks: Stay Alive in NYC, Regular Cat
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