Remember Fat Joe's ''Get It Poppin'' featuring Nelly? Well forget it. Remember All Or Nothing or Loyalty? Forget them too. Joe Crack is back & he's left that pop friendly garbage behind. What we have here is a return to the Fat Joe Pre-Loyalty. With his last couple of albums not doing to well Fat Joe has taken things into his own hands, executive producing the album & hooking up with EMI for distribution. What this has brought about is Fat Joe's best album since his 2001 Jealous Ones Still Envy.

Production on this album is not what we've come to expect from most HipHop albums today. But that's not a bad thing. Most of the beats are bare bones, with a banging bass line & simple hooks & choruses. Producers include the likes of Scott Storch, DJ Khaled, LV & Streetrunner.

Lyrically Fat Joe has the skill to freak any track & with the sparse beats it really gives Joe's vocals a chance to shine. His vocal presence is such that he could rhyme accapella & still sound better than most of the MC's out today. Guest appearances are also limited with only three of the twelve tracks featuring guests The Game & Lil' Wayne who appears on two tracks. Stand out tracks include ''No Drama [Clap & Revolve]'' & ''She's My Mama''.

Overall this album is not Joe's best but it surely is the best he's put out in the last 5 years. At 12 tracks it's just right. With a sound that blends southern beats with east coast delivery this album has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. If you're a Fat Joe fan or like artists lIke Rick Ross than you should definitely pick this joint up.

SonicAmp Rating: 8/10