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(You guys liked the Ice Cube thread - you may not like Jeezy, but then again you may so I tagged you in)
For those who liked my Review of Ice Cube's album Death Certificate, this is me going through Young Jeezy's Thug Motivation 101 - for the first time in real time. I bought it on CD in April 2021 primarily because I heard it's one of the best mixed/mastered Hip Hop albums.
As a background Jeezy released this first major album on CD in 2005 when I released my first pressed up album Scarecity in 2005 independently. He dropped his first indie album in 2001 - it had Lil Jon on it already. I dropped my first album in 2002 pressing them up at home and selling them. It shows - his hustle, pace, and quality was way more advanced than mine. I see it. I know the work that went in and how aligned he had to be with his team. Jeezy is no joke - right off the bat!
1. Thug Motivation 101 - Right amount of bass in intro. Crazy bass. Boom bap.
Money, dope fashion. Money Counter! Samples are crazy.
Dope voice. Responsible. Talking the sequel to this album in the first track!
Hope to the youth who went through shyt. "Author of the book/ Message in my lyrics you gotta decode it"
Alot of Jeezy's lyrics are truthful. This is from what I've actually seen from what crime I've been exposed to.
2. Standing Ovation - Big Time beat. Feeling like you made it. Jesus Christ! Adlibs on point. He's dope. "I merged from the crack smoke" Jeezy is no joke. Feel good music - but legit - and actually good music - and innovative rap. His adlibs "yeahhh" kill me dope. "Schizophrenic flow" crazy. I'm on track 2 and I can see why this is an innovative album for Hip Hop culture. "Infatuation with the birds I watch animal planet" Jesus Christ! Jeezy is dope - real - and when he's funny he's good at it - but it's still official.
3. Gangsta Music - Damn this is my joint "I don't like rappers" He's fukking dope. I don't know why he and 50 had some beef - but 50 has no business dissing Jeezy. Nobody does listening to this. "Young hungry N&$%S Eat your whole plate" < there's this fukking crazy blip sound effect sample right there. The production is crazy. Jeezy is fukking dope as fukk! How did I miss this album? I mean I knew him then and his T.V tracks but didn't buy this album. I did see it on CD in Walmart when it dropped in 2005 though. I held it up. Hardcore rap too.
4. Let's get it - The way the bass scales and drops down on this album is absolute crack. Oh fukk the snare dropped. fukk! The way he re-rhymes lyrics right away is dope. His voice is dope. "Even exchange" - his lyrics have a deep philosophy behind them.
Track 4 this album is perfect so far. Ugh.
5. And then what - Dope mix. Fun. "Millionaire dreams federal nightmares." Feels like he was working his whole life for this album - whole cities behind me . Hip Hop repping.
6. Go Crazy
Pays to tell the truth - Jay. Dope track.
7. Last of a dying breed - Young buck cashville was dope. But he had a weird legacy after - then it looks weird - not believable Crying, no money, Prodigy etc.Like Buck on this album feels weird after all what he's been through after. Not dissing - but a bunch of things he got into - or maybee it's just the rumours that messed me up. But I heard alot. Kinda shows even when people mess up later you go back and it feels weird. Young Buck is dope tho.
8. My Hood - Remember this track - happy child like
Posted up like a light pole - not purple brown - 7 11 truth
The concept of even doing it for the block means a lot
9. Bottom of the map - Dope beat - the beats carry this album. Happy - but the bass drops make it grimy
10. Get ya mind right - Favorite track so far. Grimy, business rhymes. Revisiting get ya mind right is one of my favorite Jeezy tracks now.
11. Trap star - Happy but the right - white squares with the stamps in the middle.
Kinda fukked up because it celebrates drug dealing which is risky as hell - but I know it's motivating to translate it to a legal work hustle.
12. Bang- Dope beat - really dope beat
13. Don't get caught - Talking about his baby mom in 2005. Bass is crazy. The mix is crazy.
Don't get caught. - Being on point. Gives props - Don't believe in wasting time. Mad lessons in this album. Talking about others wearing a wire.
Crazy beat - horns in it. Bass. Bass in the whole album is deep. This album will easily make a car light up on the block. Definitely a huge win for Def Jam.
14. Soul Survivor - Akon - feels weird hearing him - talented - but Grimy. Because Akon was associated with so much Pop it probably bothers me - still great track.
"This is every day it never gets old I was a juvenile stuck to the G code" - Damn! Talking about being careful. This literally is motivating music.
"Pants sagging" - Akon - okay that’s cool Akon cause I'm all about baggy jeans and think they should come back. I never stopped wearing them.
15. Trap or die - "fukk ass industry people" This is overdose bass - that's all you’d hear in the whip - this the type of track that changes in the car because of the bass. fukk man.
Bass overdose! Original < like how rappers are supposed to be.
16.Tear it up - Dope sexual track
17. That's how you feel - dope beat - dark but trap - "any problem Jeezy take care of it"
There's philosophy of responsibility on this album
18. Talk to em - Love, grateful, real dude - such a dope track off the top - 70s vibe with sample - scratches - as real as it gets - talks about real trust - real trust
How does a song this dope show up near the end of this album?
wait I don't get the end tho? Does Jeezy say he left coke in his boys house...Jeezy is OT and then his loyal boy gets booked for Jeezy's coke but doesn't rat Jeezy who left his coke in his boy's house?
If that's the case that's kinda fukkery - I don't get it off first listen. Still dope.
19.Air Forces - If this is the last track on the album with this beat - this album is strong as fukk! Whole album's beat and production is crazy. The mixing is impeccable.
1 and 10 are my favorite tracks so far.
I fukk with Jeezy's values and hustle philosophy. TM101 is a serious Hip Hop album.
I can't believe I'm listening to this for the first time front to back 16 years later and I feel like it's so powerful and relevant right now.
I am using this as a master reference like I use Dr. Dre's 2001 for mixing purposes. One of the best mixed/mastered albums in any genre of all time.
It's dinner time but a gangster cooking pancakes"
Sell a lot of grass like I got a lawn service - business
Nas hardly had adlibs on King's Disease. Many rappers don't. Nas won the Grammy. But look at this - Jeezy goes IN on his adlibs here and that takes ALOT of extra work!
Summary - TM101 can potentially save a person's life - especially someone from the hood - if his Hustling drugs and coke theme is taken as actually finding legit work. He says to stay off the streets on his Trap or die mixtape anyway - to rise above them so this is accurate. This album can be more effective to reaching struggling people than a church or pastor can. That's my belief. It's more reality based - and I'm for the Bible (Not for church so much) but this album is more effective and if my boys who died - if they took this in and it's concepts I believe it would have saved their lives.
