Release Date : August 7, 2001
Label : Ruff Ryders / Interscope
2001 was crazy because Nas and Jay were going at it and D-Block and State Property were going it at too. Jadakiss was killing it on the mixtape scene. And with the success of The Lox's "We Are The Streets" album, it was only right for Jada to put out a solo album first. I remember "Put Your Hands Up" being the first single. I first heard it on "DJ Clue's "Hev E Components Pt. 2 mixtape. Then "We Gonna Make It" came out. That song had everybody waiting on Jada's album. It was a little controversy with the beat because it was used on Ras Kass' "Home Sweet Home" record. Ras said that beat was one of the three Alchemist beats that were planned for his "Van Gogh" album, but then Alchemist said he was never paid the full amount, and when he tried to reach out to Ras Kass' team they never paid him the rest of the money, so he sold it to Jada. Crazy situation right there. Moving along, "Knock Yourself Out" was the third song released, but it was the first official single for the radio.
Yall wanna know what else? Dre and Em were supposed to be on the album. I remember reading a article on MTV that said Jada was hittin the studio with Dre and Em for his debut, so I'm unsure if they actually recorded a song or if there were plans for them to record but it didn't happe, probably due to hectic schedules. Jada was always dope lyricist, so it was only right that other dope lyricist were featured on the album. "Show Disciple" with Nas is just one of those disrespectful grimy joints. "None of y'all better" featuring Styles P and Sheek Louch, is NY rap at its finest. And I cant forget about"Un-Hunh!" featuring Dmx. X takes a shot at Jay when he says "I only gave you the crown just to shoot it off ya fuckin head" then Jada gets at Beans "I give you a reason why I'm the truth for real", and "Had to stop eating red meat because I ate too many beanie macks". I loved that whole Roc-A-Fella/Nas/D-Block/State Property beef. A lot of classic freestyles and diss tracks came from that beef.
"It's Time I See I See" is a dope Ruff Ryders posse cut. "Feel Me" is a personal joint and "Keep Ya Head Up" with Ann Nesby is a inspirational joint. Here's another fun fact. Jada was scheduled to shoot a video for "Keep Ya Head Up", but the video never surfaced. "Nasty Girl" with Carl Thomas was supposed to be a single as well. Maybe the label wasn't big on those songs, who knows? Your guess is as good as mines. "What You Ride For?" (originally titled "Dirty South Scenario") is cool. Fiend was signed to Ruff Ryders around that time. It would of cool if he released atleast one album when he was signed there. Now, with all that being said, the problem I have with this album is how inconsistent it is."Jada's Got A Gun", "I'm A Gangsta", "Crusin", and "Fuckin or What" and "On My Way" are weak. While the album has its ups and downs, Jada still delivers a solid debut.
3.5/5
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