The three years between
Hustler's P.O.M.E.
and
Pray IV Reign
saw a slew of
Jim Jones
releases -- mixtapes, Christmas EPs, plus LPs with his
Byrd Gang
crew -- but there's little doubt that this is the proper follow-up to the album that gave the world the massive hit
"We Fly High."
One listen to the epic intro and it's obvious it also aims higher artistically, influenced by the passing of
member
Stack Bundles
, beefs with members of the
Dipset
crew, plus the creation of the man's off-Broadway production,
The Hip Hop Monologues: Inside the Life and Mind of Jim Jones
.
Reign
is basically the soundtrack to
Monologues
but it stands alone just fine, successfully mixing straight-up club anthems like
"Pop Champagne"
"Na Na Nana Na Na"
with much deeper numbers.
Bundles
is mourned on the moving
"My My My,"
which features the perfectly
Jones
aside "I hope there's a Harlem in Heaven." A question mark must have been dropped off the title of
"This Is the Life,"
as the rapper's unsure "There's no regrets in life/How's that sound?" rides over the background singers' hook of "Is there a Heaven for us?" Since it's directed at his son ("A miracle on Flatbush Avenue/I still made it back to say 'Push!' when she was havin' you"),
"Rain"
doesn't question these contrasts and presents them as the cold hard facts of life. It's affiliate
NOE
who really lays it on the line during
"Rain,"
offering "Had to be a felon/Hated bein' pauper/Read the book of life/Satan was the author." Even with special guest
Ludacris
on the cut,
also wins on key track
"How to Be a Boss,"
and as
"Frienemies"
addresses
' volatile relationships with
Cam'ron
Max B
, the grand victory of
becomes how well it shakes the past and presents the current
crew as true players. Success has always been
' revenge, and while his ringleader ways allow this autobiographical album to sometimes go wildly off concept, it's clearly his most inspired set of songs to date. ~ David Jeffries