Hell Rell – For The Hell Of It

    Hell Rell isn’t a
    name one hears too often. While he’s spent years with a familiar crew (The Diplomats), he is often outshined
    or overshadowed by more widely known emcees. Ruger Rell is finally ready to step out on his own. Still, it’s
    hard not to compare Rell to the crew
    he loyally reps. Is that even a good thing these days?

    Well, The Set has
    had some success. Cam’ron, Jim Jones
    and Juelz Santana have had
    mainstream love and the rest of the crew was somewhat of an underground
    phenomenon at one point. Similarly, Rell
    is able to attain some praise here. Deep
    in Love, You Can Count on Me, Streets Gon’ Love Me
    , and Life in the Ghetto are all nicely done
    pieces. In fact, the cohesion between production and rhymes is actually dope,
    and the overall feeling is something most people wouldn’t expect to receive
    here. Rell is able to capture the
    moods wonderfully and this portion of the album stands out.

    Loyalty has also been a big part of The Set’s success and this is clear on this LP. J.R. Writer, Cam’Ron, and Juelz Santana all participate in this album
    separately. Others who appear are Young
    Dro
    and Styles P, for a highly
    anticipated D-Block/Dipset collabo.
    While some of these guest spots fall flat, others help boost the enjoyment of
    the album in one way or another, for good or bad.

    Unfortunately, the enjoyment somewhat fades out. Much like Dipset, Rell falls to criticism that mainly blames boring material as a
    deterrent. Show Off, I’m the Shit and
    other throw away filler tracks simply take away from an LP that should be
    shorter. It’s disappointing because he’s truly got a solid album on his hands,
    without the filler joints.

    Overall, the album is like The Diplomats in many ways. Sure, it is entertaining, especially if
    you are into the killer/drug dealer voice. But, it is annoying and monotonous
    if you aren’t. Lyrically, it is more impressive than some, but nowhere near
    great or even that good. Most of it
    lands on average. Sure, it shines at times, but it’s not enough to truly gain real
    acclaim. In the end, some long time Dip
    fans might enjoy it, but others may simply listen to it once and then throw it
    away. You know, for the hell of it.

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