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Key Tracks: "Freedom", "A Day at the Races", "Remember His Name", "What's Golden", "Thin Line", "High Fidelity", "One of Them"

For those who aren't familiar with J5, they consist of four MCs (Akil, Chali 2na, Zaakir, Marc 7) and two DJs (Nu-Mark, Cut Chemist). The MCs are all pretty talented. Their voices, both in unison and apart, work almost like instruments to change the sound of the rapping. It has a nice effect. I have to say Chali 2na outshines all the rest, with his deep voice and fantastic flow (check Sum of Us), but all the rest are good, too. Sometimes Akil and Zaakir are hard to tell apart, but both have skills. Marc 7 has a more breathy voice, and I've heard he's releasing a solo record.

Lyrically, this album has good content and variety. Some songs have political messages, such as Freedom, I Am Somebody, and Sum of Us, which has the best flows on the album. Some songs are just kicking old-school rhymes. This includes Break, High Fidelity, After School Special, and Day At the Races, feat. Big Daddy Kane and Percy P. What We Do is telling you J5's goal, which is basically just to make good music from way back when. Thin Line explores the line between friendship and love, and Remember His Name is a good story about a brother who made some bad choices and suffered bad consequences. What's Golden is kind of just kicking rhymes, but mixes it with some gangsta rap disses. Hey is good to just chill to. One of Them gets special mention because it's a rather unexpected diss to all the gangsta rappers who just go on camera and act tough. It makes some good points, but I don't like it that much. The tone is a little too angry, which doesn't suit J5. When they cuss and try to sound angry, they come off as a little corny. Also, the verses are more just split up into a series of one-liners. Dark beat. The remaining tracks are just DJ tracks, with one OK freestyle. There are no wack tracks on here. It's enjoyable throughout the CD.

The production is split between Nu-Mark, Cut Chemist, and a couple of guest stars. Personally, I prefer Nu-Mark. He has more variety. He just thinks up a cool melody that suits the tone of the song and puts it on there, without too much sampling. He gets most of the tracks in the middle; the best tracks in my opinion. Cut Chemist gets some tracks at the beginning and end, but I get the feeling he just likes the mess around with beats. He isn't consistent. He likes to change the beat around in the middle of the song, and does some weird sampling. I can't really get into it the way it changes, becaues as soon as I adjust to a beat it switches, so it never really feels complete. He only produces four or five real songs. The others are just DJ tracks. He just likes to play around, especially with drums. Juju of the Beatnuts produces One of Them and What We Do. What We Do is a soulful and jazzy flute/piano beat, and possibly the best on the album. One of Them is OK, a little dark. I forget who the other guest producer is, but he does Hey. He captures the dreamy "just chill" feel that makes the song great. The last track is a DJ duet between Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist. It's fun to listen to sometimes, but I prefer lyrics. All good beats that compliment the rappers perfectly.

I don't know what else to say. These are the dope old-schoolers. This is what I listen to if I'm in a good mood just to nod my head to. Good old-fashioned rhyming. Somehow, you can just tell all the MCs are nice guys who can rhyme. The DVD tells you more about their personalities and it helps you tell them all apart, which confused me at first. This isn't very serious or hardcore music, nor does it pretend to be, but if you want happy, light-hearted rhymes and beats, this is for you.