CRIPTAPE

I used to love this album a few years ago, but after maturing my taste and delving more into the rap genre, I am not impressed with this album. It doesn't necessarily stand out. One of my biggest pet peeves with a hip-hop album is when they place a personal, conscious rap song directly next to an energetic, albeit lyrically hollow track. This happened twice on this album with 'Link Up' going into 'Always Win' and then 'Hard Times' into 'Right Now.' "It's a mixtape though!" True, but save the emotional, personal songs that tackle topics like drug abuse, love, and growing up in a hood for a separate mixtape. This track list is more bipolar than Kanye. Anyway, Link Up and Right Now were my favorite, and I do like the album cover. Kid had potential. Rest in peace, Dashawn Robertson.