Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 05/23/2006
Two big things came into
Yo Gotti's life since his last effort, 2003's overlooked
Life, was released. First there was his hooking-up with the
Cash Money label by way of
Gotti's group
the Block Burnaz, and then there was his brush with the big time when his fantastic track
"Full Time" made an appearance in the film
Hustle & Flow. These two events must have given the rapper the framework for
Back 2 Da Basics, a solid effort that's cold, hungry, and ambitious without ignoring the weekend and the party time that comes with it. Suggesting the next
Robin Hood might be in the crackhouse pushing bricks of drugs , the
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"-styled side of the album is satisfying and acknowledges hard Southern
hip-hop's success with respect and a little "it shoulda been me." Tough love abounds on
"Cold Game" while
"A Part of Thugs" is a gripping tale of heartbreak in the hood, implying that the drug war and intercontinental military wars cut equally deep into relationships. The bolder,
Cash Money-flavored tracks are best represented by
"I Got Them," which modernizes
Baby and
Mannie Fresh's
"Big Tymers" track into a 2006 crunk attack with help from
Lil Wayne.
"Gangsta Party" utilizes
Bun B,
8 Ball, and a
Marvin Gaye sample without squandering any of them, while
"That's What They Made It Foe" finds
Yo Gotti delivering a T.G.I.F. anthem with help from
Pooh Bear and hot producer
Scott Storch (
Gotti fesses "I paid like ten bricks for this one!"). Some redundant filler towards the end keeps this from being a classic, but
Back 2 Da Basics is well rounded and has enough heat to turn this hood-respected rapper into a more high-profile hustler.
~David Jeffries, All Music Guide
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