His efforts here are indeed commendable, particularly considering the precedent he's following, but ultimately this is a rather forgettable album, on a par with other here-today, gone-tomorrow post- Biggie Bad Boy releases like Black Rob's Life Story (1999) and G. From the opening monologue ("Dear America, I'm only what you made me/Young, black, and f*cking crazy/Maybe if all you niggas were building schools instead of prisons, I'd stop living the way I'm living/Probably not/I'm so used to serving rocks and burning blocks"), there's little denying that Shyne is trying to be what his audience wants him to be: the hardest rapper yet, harder than 2Pac, Biggie, and DMX. The collection was a a commercial success, spawning multiple hits and selling north.
The album unfortunately comes across as far too contrived, seeming staged and overly theatrical. Posting bail, Shyne would continue to prep for his debut album, which would eventually drop on Sept. Born Jamal Barrow, the young, gifted, and Black New York rapper joined Puffy's Bad Boy camp in 1999, shortly before the December 27 episode that would define his life. The long-awaited debut by Notorious B.I.G.'s successor on Puff Daddy's Bad Boy label, Shyne, follows through on its promise to present a thuggish, hardcore equivalent to the seemingly irreplaceable, deceased gangsta superstar. The album wasn't an especially memorable work, however, and Shyne remained far better-known for his story than for his music.
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