Young Jeezy (feat. Future) - Way Too Gone (Def Jam, 2011)

Jeezy’s TM103 could’ve been a lot worse than it ended up, but thanks to some smart production decisions, as well as a decent cast of guest appearances to help lift the load (no Alley Boy), it is a solid entry in Jeezy’s catalogue, if nothing else. It is undoubtedtly the worst album Jeezy’s released to date, and he is little more than a shadow of his once dominant self, but we know those odds are often defied in the world of rap.

Perhaps the moment that glistens the brightest on TM103 is the Mike Will-helmed, Future assisted Way Too Gone. Way Too Gone starts off strangely enough with Jeezy’s voice run through a filter, the volume adjusted a few decibles below where it should be, making you question if you just downloaded a faulty copy of the album. The Mike Will Made It tag comes in, and the next four minutes are glorious. Jeezy’s hook-making ability is strong here, as it is often on the album, and Mike Will’s lushly-trap instrumental adds a lot to the atmosphere.

Future obviously kills it on the last verse - I’m really surprised he wasn’t given hook duty, but I guess Jeezy didn’t want shown-up that badly. As much as I like 2 Chainz, it’s funny seeing his feature Supafreak trying to follow this. Neither the beat nor 2 Chainz’ verse can compete with the combination of Mike Will and Future - potentially the most potent duo in all of rap at the moment.

Young Jeezy - Death Before Dishonor (Mixtape, 2010)

I already expressed my feelings that Jeezy was going in on Rawse on The Real Blowing Money Fast, but this is even harder to deny. I think that Rawse bigging up Jeezy’s brother was probably the last straw for a rapper who values his credibility above all. When Jeezy spit i know Big Meech; the REAL Big Meech on the Hustlin’ (remix) four years ago, I never expected that four years and countless scandals later Ross would be the one to bring the BMF head’s name back into attention, only to get subliminals thrown at him multiple times by his one-time homeboy. Is this the beginning of a beef between Officer Ricky and the Snowman? A part of me feels that Jeezy may just be jealous because of the fact that the Boss got his push over at Def Jam, and is getting the publicity he feels he rightfully deserves for TM 103. Who knows how true all of this is though; we’re just gonna have to wait to find out. Honestly, it wouldn’t be good for business either way; they’re both on the same label, and they make good music together. I’d rather them stay acquaintances then just randomly start beefing, especially considering the fact that neither of them are particularily good at beefs. They both came up the losers (in my opinion) of their biggest feuds in their career, Jeezy with Gucci and Ross with 50, at least on the musical aspect. Although they may’ve rebounded with stronger careers, neither of them have really released any monumental diss tracks in their career (and yes, I’m including Stay Strapped).

Young Jeezy (feat. Yo Gotti) - All White Everything (CTE/Def Jam, 2010)

Video wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it serves its purpose. Glad to see Gotti getting some shine, although I think his verse feels out of place; not because it doesn’t match the song, just because the structure of this song (and it’s the remix, not the album version - at least to my knowledge) doesn’t seem comprehensive with his added verse. The three singles released so far from this album has all been street anthems; I’m waiting on at least one introspective joint to drop before I crown TM 103 the Second Coming of TM 101. September 28th.

Young Jeezy - I’m Just Sayin’ (CTE, 2010)

I’ve never mentioned before how much I dig these Decatur Dan videos; the simplistic black and white videos that have been directed for all the videos off of ToD2 and Lose My Mind have all been more than effective, and some of my favorites from this year for their simplicity alone. The age of video-hos is nearly dead, and I think that’s a good luck these days.