Nowadays, it’s easy to dismiss a Dipset affiliated record as quickly as The Redeem Team dismisses an opponent. Any talk of The Set is met with a frown or a laugh. The team is in shambles and the glory seems to be fading quickly. One can’t truly blame the naysayers. After the pink mink, never ending beef triangles and the numerous rumors, many have written the Dips off. After all, the crew seemed to have been dismantled. Now, 40 Cal [click to read] is out to change all of that with his latest offering, Mooga.
Those quick to write 40 off may be justified in some regard. With questionable decisions and a few terribly done tracks, it’s easy to press skip on the man who calls himself “Mr. Rewind.” “Cuarenta” sees 40 rhyming in Spanglish, doing a horrid rendition of a “reggaeton” track. “Ten Stacks” smells less like money and more like the standard run of the mill dollar song and other tracks have some questionable lines. For instance, he ends “On My Shit” by proclaiming he “farted” and then admits, he “sharted.” Although meant to be a clever ending to “On My Shit,” it ends up sounding foolishly out of place. Later, he recycles a line from his last album to end a song about his punch-line prowess. Redundancy doesn’t define deftness.
But just as the CD seems poised for “Coaster of the Year,” 40 turns things around. “Bars of Death” is simply a well done conceptual track where he focuses on his own death and blends the story telling with a dark undertone. “Grown Man Bills” shows a definite emphasis on his lyrical ability to paint a picture of his struggles over a soulful track. “Memories” also allows the listener to delve into his past, one riddled with a slew of rap stories, legends, upstarts and those who never made it. The track acts as a guide through his years in the business, showing more on why he’s still putting music out. Even when on that gangsta tip, 40 manages to add that touch of skill.
“I gotta hit you with lyrical, different criminal views. I’m bustin’ clips at your general, leave you physically bruised.” – “Rewind That”
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With all of that in the equation, there is something to love and something to hate here. On the one hand, there is some of the same ol’, same ol’ rap. There’s some clichéd aspects and a lot of weak attributes in terms of beat selection and cohesion. Speaking of instrumentation, it is a perfect example of this love/hate problem. When it’s going well (“Heatin’ Up,” “Harlem Hustle”), it adds flavor, but when it goes sour (“Cuarenta,” “Ten Stacks”), the album sinks incredibly low.
Overall, it’s hard to dismiss the album completely because there is some talent under the surface. But, it’s hard to love it because one has to dig through a lot of dirt to find it. In the end, Dipset fans can clamor and others may simply continue to ignore it. Even if there is skill, there is also mediocrity. There’s a track on “Mooga” called “Googa Googa.” ‘Nuff said.
