After years of hosting mixtapes in the Gangsta Grillz series with some of the best (predominantly southern) rappers in the game, DJ Drama decided in 2007 to release his first official album entitled, "Gangsta Grillz: The Album", which just as his other work, finds him simply hosting a CD which finds all the biggest and best (mostly) southern rappers and producers coming together on an all-star compilation release.
1. "The Setup" (Intro)
2. "Gangsta Grillz" (Lude)
3. "Takin' Pictures" (feat. Young Jeezy, T.I., Willie The Kid, Jim Jones, Rick Ross and Young Buck)
This particular track was one of the first to leak from it, and it made a huge impact as you get pretty much all of the biggest names in southern Gangsta Rap coming together in one which has them rapping about typical things which they have to deal with as a result of their lifestyle. The stand-out artists are Jeezy, who opens it, and T.I., who brings things to a close, but there isn't really a weak point as Dame Grease shows that he can get down to some hardcore southern rap beats as well as he can with the likes of DMX, Hell Rell and LL Cool J.
**Five Stars**
4. "Keep It Gangsta" (feat. Yo Gotti, Webbie and Lil' Boosie)
Here you see that after getting Yo Gotti from Atlanta, he takes it to Louisiana and chooses to bring out a couple of the big names in the newer Louisiana Rap talent pool with Webbie and Lil' Boosie. Since they have all worked together before, I felt as though it was successful and it all seemed to play to the strengths of each artist on some hard beats from Khao.
**Five
Stars**
5. "Cannon" (Remix) (feat. Lil' Wayne, Willie The Kid, T.I. and Freeway)
Here you get a remix to a track which really brought Don Cannon huge amounts of exposure and got him to become one of the most well-known in the area. In this particular version you see that he is joined by Weezy as well as other names that are prominent within the album too. You get a little East Coast flavour from Willie The Kid and Freeway, and I felt that they showed just a bit more variation within the album.
**Five Stars**
6. "Makin' Money" (feat. Willie The Kid and La The Darkman)
You have brothers La the Darkman and Willie The Kid coming together on this one, and I felt that although these two aren't particularly that well-known in the scene, as they had something respectable to offer on this album as they showed what the underground could present and the potential directions it could be taken in the future as they work out what they work best with.
**Four Stars**
7. "5000 Ones" (feat. T.I., Young Joc, Twista, Nelly, Willie The Kid and Young Jeezy)
This was a key single from the album and it sees the Drama King, Barack O'Drama supplying listeners with only the best as he chooses that for this one he will bring all of his mainstream affiliates together for a club joint as he allows Jazzy Pha to take over with the best and do what he does best. It is a killer tune, and fit right in with the time as strip club music was what southern rap was about in this 2006/2007 timeframe.
**Five Stars**
8. "The Art Of Storytelling Part 4" (feat. OutKast and Marsha Ambrosius)
Personally I saw this as an alternative track off the album, and I wouldn't say that this held it back at all, its just that with perhaps the most well-known Atlanta Hip Hop act, they choose to do one where they return back to the underground years as this one has them getting back to their "Art of Storytelling" series, and doing one which shows how strong their lyricism is. It is a banger, and shows some variation within the release.
**Five Stars**
9. "Katt Williams" (Lude)
10. "187" (feat. B.G., Project Pact and 8Ball & MJG)
Here you get one which takes things straight to Memphis as you see that you get Project Pat kicking things off before the legendary duo of 8Ball & MJG do their thing on it. It have to say that MJ's rapid flow at the end was one of he most exciting things about this whole Gangsta Rap cut and it showed that he still has it, despite being around twenty years deep in the game. B.G. provides the hook, just to give it that edge.
**Five Stars**
11. "The Mad DJ" (Lude)
12. "Beneath The Diamonds" (feat. Mr. Porter, Devin The Dude, Twista and La The Darkman)
On this one you have a nice little one on the album, and I have to say that it doesn't really make as much an impact as the rest, but it is clearly a valued one., I felt that here although it was strong, the choice of artist seemed so random, and none of them really clicked together, in spite of the fact that individually they are all very good at what they do. Devin the Dude's part is one which made the best come out of it.
**Four Stars**
13. "Talk 'Bout Me" (feat. Young Buck, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks)
This is one which has DJ Drama hosting for G-Unit as they do their thing on beats by Nottz. Personally, I felt as though it was a big improvement on a lot of there other work as I don't often enjoy work from them, but in this one you see that they give Young Buck the chance to take control and dominate it to bring out the best in them, so it wouldn't seem that bad at all.
**Four Stars**
14. "No More" (feat. Lloyd, Willie The Kid and T.I.)
I saw this one to be a track with another mix-match of artist and I thought that it was Willie The Kid who held it back a bit as the Atlanta pair, Lloyd and T.I. do nice things whilst performing a gentle R&B/Rap crossover, but Willie just doesn't quite fit it all. Generally it is a decent one, but it seesm to be held back slightly.
**Four Stars**
15. "Diddy" (Lude)
16. "Throw Ya Sets Up" (feat. Yung Joc, Jadakiss and La The Darkman)
This one is a banger from the album and one which really shows just how strong these artists can come to get down with the Gangsta Rap whilst showing what diversity they have between them. It is one designed for the clubs, and sounds to be a track largely East Coast styled, but with a Crunk edge. The tune really stands out, and one which it couldn't do without.
**Five Stars**
17. "Aye" (feat. Young Dro and Big Kuntry King)
Here you have T.I.'s Grand Hustle crew as P$C members Big Kuntry King and Young Dro come together in order to really represent A-Town, and they do this successfully on The Runners' beats by showing what Crunk sounds dominate the city and how it fits in within this album from Drama. It is a fly one and shows ht rough side of the release.
**Five Stars**
18. "Grillz Gleamin'" (feat. Princess, Diamond, Bohagon and Lil' Scrappy)
This is a hardcore tune, and it uses one of the most appropriate samples as Lil' Jon take over and uses a snippet of Destiny's Child's Solider to lead as some of his BME Click come to show what the Crunk artist of Atlanta have to say on the album. It is a rough track, and has them show that Crunk can be adapted to more traditional Hip Hop where samples are used extensively, and it allows the artist to get out there.
**Five Stars**
19. "Gettin' Money" (feat. Lil' Keke, Slim Thug, Paul Wall and Killa Kyleon)
I saw this as a stand-out track on the album, and one which makes a huge impact as the album ends as it sees that you have a track which has the best Houston Rap talent coming together. These artist often do such tunes, but here the quality appears to be lifted greatly with Detroit Red's funky beats guiding them, and allowing the artists to come out with a better standard than what they are typically heard doing.
**Five Stars**
20. "Outro"
I saw this album as a killer one from DJ Drama, and although I can't really work out his role in it, the compilation is a big one and has him providing a massive collection of banging Rap tracks to really represent what the 2007 Hip Hop sound was, and so f you were into music from any of the artist present on the album from this time, then you will probably enjoy the majority of this too.
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