Top 5 Dead or Alive is the typical strong outing from one of hip-hop’s greatest lyricists but probably not the undeniable classic we’ve been promised for so long. That’s when Jada’s status as hip-hop’s elder statesmen really shines brightest. With numbers like that it take years to relaxĪnd it’s violent so it’s mandatory years on the back Now he doing 30-something years in the max
Learned how to clap before he learned how to stack The latter is an especially poignant commentary of America’s penal system: (Youthful Offenders),” which really speak to the soul of black America. And considering America’s current social climate, I wish we could have heard more tracks like “So High” and “Y.O. “Man in the Mirror,” “You Can See” and “Cutlass” all feature overbearing hooks and sound more like mixtape fodder.
There is just too much material and sometimes the album starts to crack under its own weight. Best of all, Just Blaze’s triumphant horns transforms the track into a spiritual successor to the duo’s 2001 classic, “We Gonna Make It.” It’s one of the strongest beats on the album.ĭespite the wealth of material here - with Jadakiss sounding more focused than he has in a decade - the album falls into the same pitfall that plagued The Game’s releases this year.
Nas brings his usual brand of excellence to the aforementioned “Rain.” Sheek Louch and Young Buck link for the self-explanatory “Realest In The Game” and Lil Wayne continues his comeback tour on “Kill.”īut as always, it’s Kiss’ tag-team delivery with Styles P on “Synergy” that really steals the show, effortlessly meshing the pair like two rap superpowers.
Just like where do you see yourself in five yearsĮven though its mostly the lames that got wetĪnd speaking of those peers, Jadakiss always delivers his best work when he can play off other strong voices. While even putting fellow veterans on notice on “Rain”: You heard my name on the last verse of Ether “You Don’t Eat” reminds young rappers of his OG status: The haunting “Jason” puts Kiss directly in his comfort zone, threatening his foes who make a move for his crown. Jadakiss is no stranger to Top 40 mainstream success but he’s truly at his best when delivering endless punchlines over concrete-cracking beats. “Most of them is lovin’ me, some of them hatin’ me/Say he’s underrated, depending on whose rating me,” Kiss quips on the album intro “First 48.” Jada’s an underdog who makes moves like a heavyweight champ, spitting bars as if his life depends on it but with the confidence of seasoned pro.Īnd if you’re a fan of unbridled lyricism, this is the album for you. That’s the hunger that drives Top 5 Dead or Alive, an album a half decade in the making. With three solid solo LPs and a handful of successful singles under his belt, Jada’s unquestionably one of the game’s greatest voices.īut he’s not THE greatest voice. But that doesn’t mean Jada isn’t one of the best ever to bless the mike.īack in the mid-90s, when The LOX kicked the doors of hip-hop off its hinges, Jadakiss was always the group’s standout MC - trademark raspy voice, charisma that bled through the speakers and punchlines that could floor Tyson. Not even the mighty Jadakiss can crack that list. Well, since I know it’s gonna come up, let’s go ahead and get this out of the way: Top 5 Dead or Alive (released November 20, 2015)