Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 04/22/2008
You can argue about how "eccentric" loose canon
Bizzy Bone can be and how it gets in the way of his music, but you can't argue about how his over-prolific release schedule has sadly undermined his better work. Albums come out the rate of two or three a year and on various labels with quality varying wildly, from forgettable to almost there. The year 2008 had already seen one
Bizzy album -- the much fiercer
Ruthless -- appear by the time
Song for You arrived, but this full-length breaks the pattern, becoming the first end-to-end stunner in the rapper's solo career. Part of the reason seems to be
Bizzy's love of his new home, the
After Platinum label which the rapper mentions repeatedly in a giddy voice not heard since the early days of
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. After a hopeful intro,
"A Song for You" presents the first truly radio-worthy single the man has released in years with
DMX and
Chris Notez as guests. Cool crooner
Notez also brightens the emotional highlight
"Hard Times," which touches upon the old days with the
Thugs and how
Bizzy's been "Livin on the outside" of the crew's inner circle. Seeing
Joel Madden's name on the guest list is a shock, but the bigger surprise is how well the
Good Charlotte vocalist fits into the stately world of
"I'm the One," a track that could accompany any given heavyweight as he enters the ring. Hooks are plentiful with
"Mercy Mary," "I Need You," and a handful of others sticking in the head, plus the production is slicker, more polished, and altogether better than on previous albums.
A Song for You might just be a tad more friendly than his cult would desire, but the idea that
Bizzy is his own worst enemy gets tossed out the window after this roaring success. Give him the right time and right place, and
Bizzy, surprisingly enough, ends up being the right man for the job.
~David Jeffries, All Music Guide
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