member began 2007 with the number one single/number one ringtone then spent the rest of the year suffering a series of setbacks. His crew stalled with main member and protege sitting in jail, then and his brother stopped talking, putting the future of their purple crew in question. Then there's the way his rival dominated the end of the year with his soundtrack, an album ' apes in great street fashion. No, this isn't a raps over beats bootleg, but it is a street-level mixtape now liberated, rearranged, and cleaned a bit before seeing official release thanks to . Former associate is brought in to host and upset the Jigga man a little while are pimped with the hooky which is also the street-worthy highlight. is the standout club track, but its short run time is a disappointment repeated throughout the release, with only a handful of tracks allowed to develop past the three-minute mark. If this was still a true street-level mixtape, the short run times would be easier to explain, but with fadeouts and cold endings the flow feels bumpy and ragged. At least the money spent on licensing 's isn't wasted, since rocks that funky beat for four glorious minutes. One track later, spits venom all over the war on drugs and the offering something surprisingly substantial in the fourth quarter of this frustrating release. It suggests is growing as a lyricist, but most of just suggests he had some dues to pay at before moving on to his new deal with . Think of this one as an almost-out-the-door, "hardcore fans only," or everyday stopgap release. ~ David Jeffries