Young Jeezy – The Recession

Def Jam 2008

Rating: 7/10

Ever since his eloquently titled debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, Young Jeezy has never been a rapper to back down from what he believes in; namely, drug-dealing, smacking down poseurs, and basically living the most thug life possible. Listeners don’t come to a Snowman album looking for lyrical nuance or subtle metaphors, but they definitely do come for the Dirty South production, the gangsta vibe, and Jeezy’s imitable wheezy drawl, and The Recession has all of this in spades.

While the title of the album is somewhat timely, the album’s main lyrical points are universal: hear Jeezy brag about selling coke on “Get Allot,” hear Jeezy talk about how much money he has on “Vacation,” hear Jeezy discuss his general badassery on virtually every track. Jeezy is the kind of rapper you blare cruising down the freeway, not one to actually make you think, and so when he actually rhymes “broccoli” with “glock with me,” one takes it in stride as a necessary part of the gangsta formula Jeezy has made his own.

And what saves The Recession from being just another lame Dirty South record is the production by a series of semi-famous producers like J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and Drumma Boy, who create an appropriately dark, urban atmosphere replete with snare hits and rumbling bass to accompany Jeezy’s rants. Tracks like the irrepressibly funky “Circulate” and the epic horn opener “The Recession (Intro)” keep the album from becoming too repetitive and distract the listener from Jeezy’s admittedly one-dimensional personality. While The Recession is never going to win any awards, it is a fitting late summer jam for those who like their hip-hop with more brawn than brains.