From the first few tracks, something just wasn’t clicking for me. Positivity isn’t quite the right word, but there’s this buoyant, almost overly bright tone to the production that doesn’t land. De La, have always operated in that lane, but here I’m just not feeling it. The production on 'Good Health' was the first moment I actually enjoyed, and Nas absolutely steals the show on ‘Run It Back!!’, as he usually does. That beat leans more boom-bap and drops the optimistic gloss, which helps a lot. Features like Black Thought, Killer Mike and as I already mentioned, Nas, are so much more engaging than the De La boys on the mic which tells you what I think of the rapping here. 'The Silent Life of a Truth' is an example that would be better with more energetic rapping. I see what he's doing with the flow but it makes the song boring. I can hear the effort in all aspects of the songwriting. There’s clearly more craft here than on some of the other recent Mass Appeal rollouts, like the Mobb Deep project-and I do appreciate that. But overall, this one just isn’t for me. After giving it a passive listen and not really connecting with it, forcing myself to sit down and properly listen for the sake of reviewing it has been a bit of a slog. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: Good Health, Run It Back!!, EN EFF, Yours, Cabin in the Sky

This is a great instrumental tape. The productions lean slightly more house than Televangel usually creates. Best Tracks: 1. You Have No Pain Anywhere in Your Body 80 2. Grace 70 3. I Wanna Go 2 Heaven 74 4. Drone Swan 5. Pure Chance 6. Pathway 7. Try This 8. Loneliness

This is a solid concept project up until the final track that I don't like at all. It's your usual Papoose. Hard punch lines, good mic presence and precise diction. 'I Said What I Said' is a banger and my pick from the EP. Unfortunately it's less than 2 minutes long. I find it tough to rate these short projects. While consistent and enjoyable, if I'm only getting 15 minutes of music I think the listener should probably expect more heat. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★☆ Best Tracks: Big 3, I Said What I Said 1 Need for Speed 62 2 Big 3 70 3 I Said What I Said 80 4 Chill Button 66 5 Fentanyl 63 6 Counting Green 20

This album is worth checking out. Willie delivers exactly what you'd expect-No holds barred and never scared to say what’s on his mind. It’s a clear improvement on his debut which drops off in the second half. It kicks off with the title track, which would’ve fit comfortably on that first album, with its energetic, busy production and constant shifts in the beat. 'Die' slows things down with drawn-out drums and subtle keys, giving space for Willie to unload on other producers while bigging up his own beatmaker. After Willie outlines his luck with the ladies on 'Clean Up', the album hits its strongest run. The hook on 'Trenchcoats-N-Ganksta Hats' really stands out, and 'Rodney K.' feels like straight-up N.W.A. energy. Willie makes it very clear he’s no fan of Rodney or the soft, non-confrontational approach he thinks blacks take toward racism. There’s so much passion here that he could be saying almost anything and the track would still hit hard. 'Go Back 2 School' brings the funk back and pushes the value of education, while 'U Still a aggiN' digs into ongoing racial inequality. As with his debut, the momentum tapers off a towards the final third, but the highs here are strong enough to make the whole project worthwhile. Beats: ★★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★★ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: I'm Goin' Out Likea Solider, Trenchcoats-N-Ganksta Hats, Rodney K., Go Back 2 School 1 Profile of a Criminal 2 I'm Goin' Out Lika Soldier 78 3 Pass Da Piote' 70 4 Die 66 5 Clean Up Man 66 6 U Ain't No Ganksta 76 7 Trench-N-Ganksta Hats 80 8 Rodney K 92 9 Campaign '92 10 Go Back 2 School 84 11 U Still a aggiN 70 12 Little Hooker 62 13 Yo P My D 60 14 Backstage 15 Wat's Up aggiN 60 16 My Alibi 62

This is an odd album. In a few tracks, especially early on, it genuinely sounds like Willie D had been listening to too much 2Pac before stepping into the booth. He drops Pac’s “adversaries” line more than once, uses that trademark Pac-style laugh and mid-verse talking voice, and even slips into a similar rhythmic cadence at times. It’s not the whole project, but those Pac-influenced moments really stand out, and it’s strange to hear from someone who usually has such a distinct vocal identity. 'Lil’ Killaz' also reminds me of someone else. There’s something about the way he raps on it that feels very Scarface. Most of the album sits in fairly average hip hop territory. It's all passable but there is nothing great. I do like the hook on 'Dear God', and the final two tracks, which lean more emotional and soulful, work better than most of what comes before. Not terrible, but it's his worst project. Beats: ★★★ Rapping/Bars: ★★★ Hooks: ★★★ Best Tracks: Lil' Killaz, Dear God, U Special, Hearse Cadillac