Album: Drama – Gangsta Grillz: The Album

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More and more mixtape DJs are looking to legitimize their business, which has been under a particularly large amount of scrutiny as of late, by releasing official studio albums based on their street tapes. The current face of the mixtape movement, Philadelphia native Drama, the ‘DJ’ was dropped for legal reasons, is following suit with the compilation-styled Gangsta Grillz (The Album).

The all-star opening cut Takin’ Pictures which features Young Jeezy, Willie The Kid, Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Young Buck and T.I. gives you a suitable snapshot of what to expect for the duration of Gangsta Grillz, as does the strip club ode and lead single 5000 Ones. While your enjoyment of the track will be hampered by a supremely dreadful chorus, Throw Ya Sets Up is a decent hood reppin’ anthem, which finds the East and South being represented by NY’s Jadakiss, ATL’s Yung Joc and impressive Philadelphia up and comer Willie The Kid.

Drama is clearly serious about stepping up to the big leagues as he throws a creative curveball and delivers tracks with more substance than those discussed above. It may sound like a dream, but Andre 3000 and Big Boi, collectively known as the beloved Outkast, do indeed come together on The Art of Rhyme Part 4, delivering an uncut lyrical tour-de-force. Meanwhile, industry veterans Twista, Mr. Porter, La The Darkman and Devin The Dude take you Beneath The Diamonds, to deliver another notable track. The reflective No More takes the album on another detour, as Drama protégé Willie The Kid steals the show once again, joined by T.I. and crooner Lloyd.

Finally, the unmistakably breezy production sound synonymous with the Neptunes rears its head on the Pharrell and Clipse featuring Cheers, which concludes the disc on a high note.

As Gangsta Grillz has its share of highlights it also reaches points of bland mediocrity with several by-the-numbers contributions. This is illustrated no more clearly than on generic tracks like Aye featuring T.I. cohorts Big Kuntry and Young Dro and the tepid Talk Bout Me by G-Unit members Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. To his credit Buck does appear to be trying, but he is not helped at all by the weak production and sleepwalking performances from Banks and Yayo.

The worst offender of them all though, is the nauseating Grillz Gleamin’. While the chorus, comprising of a slowed down Beyoncé vocal snippet, is somewhat clever, the poor excuse for a beat built around it along with the phoned-in cameos from Diamond and Princess of Crime Mob, Bohagon and Lil’ Scrappy are the icing on the crud cake. While unimaginative punchlines incorporating the words Gangsta Grillz are abound, this track manages to contain two of them.

Drama’s place as mixtape royalty and his ability to craft intelligently paced street tapes cannot be doubted, Gangsta Grillz (The Album) proves that he still has a way to go in crafting full studio albums. The shouty drops are all well and good for the purposes of a mixtape but in the confines of an album they tarnish the enjoyment. Despite its flaws though, there are still more than enough heaters to keep your ears warm.

Available Through Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records