It had VERY strong high points, and is a solid album, but probably my least listened to Jay album, next to 'Kingdom Come'. Too many of those Rick Rock beats, I am one of the few who hated 'I Just Wanna Love You', when it came out, just didn't fukk with it, it's cool
I'll never play that shyt on my own though. This album was the bridge for Kanye and Just production, they started with that sound on this album, but the other half or 3/4 of the production is garbage, mostly. 'Change the Game' was a big song, but I never liked it, too bouncy, too west coast, didn't care for it.
ROC, Change the Game Parking Lot Pimping, Get Your Mind Right, Guilty Until Innocent, 'You Me Him and Her', people like that beat, but I never liked it...Just Blaze still hadn't hit his stride yet, he did 'ROC', one of the worst beats on there. But, then you have Intro, Streets Is Talking, Holla, Stick to the Script, and Jay started baring his soul a little, precursor to 'The Blueprint', 'Where Have You Been', 'Soon You'll Understand', Intro'. An uneven, flawed album, with real highlights.
It was supposed to be a compilation album, but Jay pulled the old bait and switch, and released it as a solo. I think the compilation should have been done a year later, just after 'Blueprint', and 'The Reason', the artists were killing everything and Sigel and Bleek had really found their voices, and the production was top notch.
