This was the first Masta Ace album I had ever listened to...and it had me searching for his entire catalogue! One of 2004's hottest HipHop releases. Between "Da Grind", "Brooklyn Masala", "Revelations", "The Ways" and the 9th Wonder produced "Good Ol' Love", can't decide which track takes the top spot. But it doesn't really matter...coz this is one of the best albums packed with lyrics of the highest standards and excellent beat production. Whilst the skits tell a story...the tracks are strategically placed to stay in stride with the storyline. The end-product is a well-rounded album that defines the direction HipHop should be taking.

Beyond all reasonable doubt, this album's packed with gems. From the radio-friendly & over-played "Simon Says"...the MOP-backed Alchemist-produced "No Mercy", all the way to the tongue-twisting "Hell" which features Can-I-Bus...not once do you feel the urge to push the FFWD button! Well, except maybe to skip "Simon Says" coz I've heard it a hundred to many times! The sexual "The Ass" is a track I keep going back to...coz it's different from the usual sex-story. "Right Here" is just so ruff, rugged and raw! A Pharoahe-fuelled street anthem. With Busta on "The Next Shit", you know it's a rap! Guaranteed to get any HipHop party blazin! And for the ladies, and for fellas on those laid back days when you don't feel like bangin ya head, Pharoahe got you on lock in "The Light", and the philosophical "God Send" and "The Truth", with Common thrown in for added measure. Overall...undiluted, uncompromised HipHop at it's finest.

"Keep Your Worries" rocks this album beyond all doubt! Craig David and Baldhead Slick rock the (sad) love song on "No More" while Donell Jones takes the mic on "Hustlin Daze"...added just to show that Guru's still a beast over Primo beats! I wasn't particularly feeling the Neptunes produced tracks "All I Said" and "Supa Love". I think the GangStarr emcee should stay 100 miles clear of Pharell. But he comes back strong on "Guidance", which is dedicated to his son (who was about to be born at the time of recording). I have no idea what Les Nubians are singing most of the time on "Who's There"...but music overcomes language barriers and hammers the (French) chorus in! An inspirational conscious track. The albums wraps up with "Mashin Up Da World" which comes on a refreshingly Jamaican tip, whilst "Timeless" is a good track for those reflective late nights or lazy Sundays ;-)

One word....Classic! Ayatollah kills the production, The Ghost murders the flow on the raps, whilst Pharoahe Monch hammers it in with a killer hook. What more could you ask for!!!???

Undoubtedly AZ's finest release to date! Starts off with mellow Heatmakers produced tracks - and true to their perfected formula comes complete with vocal samples - laced with some fine rhymes from the Brooklyn vet. "New York", though featuring two of the Wu's finest, is not your typical Wu-Tang 36 Chambers shit. Unfortunately, it's too lyrikal to make a proper anthem, but makes a good track still! "Street Life" has some nice violins on it, and features two credible emcees, Half-A-Mil & Begetz. "The Come Up" is actually a reworked version of an earlier track called "No Love" which features Joe (Thomas). The newer version is more street; what else would one expect with Primo on production! Other notable tracks include "Bedtime Story", "Envious" featuring Bounty Killah, "AWOL" (where AZ drops a single verse that declares him one of the world's best slept on artists!). Overally, a well-balanced album that doesn't compromise true HipHop for commercial success.

Nice release. The only shortfall is beats...which we can blame on the limited producer pool! Golden Child is an alright producer...but that don't mean he should produce all (but 1) tracks on the album! Perspectives gotta be the nicest track on this album. Lyrically, Jin comes correct, as expected! This is the kind of release he needed from day 1...hope he follows up and gradually perfects the formula to be a great well-rounded emcee.