producer: mannie fresh

guests: lovely, atrice, big tymers, b.g., turk, hot boys, lil wayne, mannie fresh

It's easy to diss the Cash Money Millionaires. And a lot of people seem to enjoy doing it. And just about as many curse them out as player haters. But as a backpacker that I am, there's only one way to review this album: you gotta be fair. Not just hating on them, but giving constructive criticism, remain honest and just breaking down the album out the perspective of a head.

"U Understand" is a "Ha" revisited, with Juvenile putting a "ya understand?" at the end of each line. He is threatening cat, bragging and he kicks "hop out the car and let that iron ring (ya understand) / that's the end of this stupid ass thing (ya understand)" at the end of the cut. He himself calls it a 'stupid ass thing' and so we won't disagree. The beat is hard hitting, choppy, apart from the switch of things during the chorus that wasn't necessary. On "Fuck That Nigga" him and B.G. are talking of a night out, beating up folks and then rhyming "it's a hard life we livin', they 'bout they drama / we earn stripes for killin', I'll attack like a rhino". This has one of the worst choruses in a long time "man, pop that nigga / man, kill that bitch / man, shoot that nigga / man, spank that bitch / man, down that nigga, execute that bitch / put fifty rounds in that nigga is what'cha do that bitch". The beat has those changing Mannie Fresh drums, along with smooth guitars that give it a summer vibe.

One of the dopest beats in combination with the chorus can be heard on "A Million And One Things". A melodic 80s Disco background makes up the beat. The lyrics have almost some sort of message, when they talk about being responsible for yourself, or as they put it "try to show them how to help theyself". Lyrically "Take Them 5" has to be the most positive and so most enjoyable track on here. They tell everyone to avoid jail, avoid doing mistakes. It's dope to hear something like that on an album that boasts and burst of violent rhymes. But at the same time it's awfully contradictory. The rappers know what's right, and it seems only their machismo, their 'I gotta be a man, look like a man, and defend myself like a man' stupidity is in the way, that they'd actually live the way the promote on this song. Juve goes "shit, my breath funky with a migraine headache / big pissed off cause I know I made a mistake / but that's what I get fuckin' with pussy ass niggaz / and 2 dollar hoes that'll trade you for cash figures". The whole second verse would be worth to repeat here, when Juve talks about the jail system. The beat though sounds too synthetic with it's keyboards.
A long spoken intro leads into "G-Code". A very animated track that has Lil Wayne flowing. The beat is hard and glittering.

"Something Got 2 Shake" another acceptable lyrical effort, talks about how he struggles, and makes one understand that he wants to come up. The question is just how. Is it a good advice to tell someone 'let's do some illegal shizznizz'? While it should be 'yeah, it's dope you try to come up, man, I'm really glad to see you wanna change your life'. The beat is once again almost melodic and has again that summer night vibe going.

There's the obligatory 'repping the hood' track called "Da Magnolia", while the second verse has Juve doing a little criminal endeavor. The beat is hard, quite dramatic, with an interesting counting voice sample. "Catch Your Cut" could be considered the Souths "Money Cash Hoes" remix. The rappers got this stop and go rapping style going, exchange the mic back and forth, while the rhymes talk about sexing up the ladies. The beat actually switches, what adds to the fun factor. And Mannie does flip the beat on "Lil Boyz" too. While the first part is somewhat humming and thumming with a blunt synthetic effect, the second part puts more attention on the drums.

"Get It Right" talks about the envy and jealousy of player haters, while B.G. spits some other shit, what makes you wonder if there ever was a concept to the songs, or if they just spit, patched the song together and put some stereotypical title to the track. The beat got some handclapping going, more synthetic keyboards, although again somewhat melodic. The hardest flossing track has to be "Never Had Shit" where Juve goes "they come to watch the North Pole cause it's flooded with ice". With a melodic piano, it got a definite summer vibe, this sounds kinda westcoastish, but also nice. And the beat really got some fire on "I Got That Fire", that also has another spoken intro. Juve's rhyme has him at his most charming, talking about 'hoes' he meets, fucks, beats up. Mannie put some nice details to the beats, beyond the obvious scratches and barking. On "Tha Man" Juve puts a little meaning in between his proud man stance, riding the westcoast sounding, doorbell sounding, emotional piano and vibes having beat. And finally, on "Guerrilla" the rappers spit threatening, setting things straight rhymes. But this in a very lame tone, that probably was intended to sound casual, calm or bored.

The rappers are sometimes succeeding to flow. Although when they do, their flow is nothing really special, but it only rarely mocks up, like when Baby is rhyming "I got that work nigga, all y'all know the rules / I don't play, I'm a mastermind, it's a Big Tymer, fool" ("Something Got 2 Shake") or during Mannie Fresh's rhymes on "Lil Boyz" and "I Got That Fire". What leaves the inevitable conclusion: stick to producing. Throughout the album the rappers show their solidarity to their hood and peeps. But outside of that, they lack all elemental respect for other humans. While it would be so necessary to transport this respect to the outside too, so that they don't have to rap about the struggle no more. However, in general, the music is enjoyable on this album. Mannie certainly once again pulled it off. But the lyrics are, not only because of their excessive use of the word 'nigga' just not worth spending too much time on. You also wonder if they spent too much time writing them, because they have to be considered basic, at least in style.