I could honestly make this review three sentences long. But since three
sentences don’t pay the bills, I guess I’m going to sit here and dissect Young
Jeezy Presents: U.S.D.A.: Cold Summer.
You know how T.I. is pretty good, but P$C
is ass? Or how about Ludacris and the DTP?
Well, the story is much the same here. You know you’re in trouble when Young
Jeezy is the lyrical beast of your crew.
Now, it wouldn’t be fair of me to expect lyricism from this album. No one
who has listened to Young Jeezy should. What they should expect,
however, are good beats and that swag that Jeezy’s famous for.
Unfortunately, not only does Cold Summer lack both of these traits, it
actually succeeds in making you question whether Def Jam really
co-signs this shit. I mean, if you’re interested in making money, why not just
release another Jeezy album. Or hey, ain’t that Budden
ready yet? Damn. But I digress.
This album isn’t completely worthless. There’s enough on here that you can
bump in the whip, or that’d be fine to hear at the club. But honestly, there
isn’t a single beat here that stands out (the sole exception being the “Go Getta Remix”).
That, coupled with the fact that Blood Raw and Slick
Pulla aren’t nearly as engaging as Jeezy
makes this album a generally uninteresting ride from start to finish.
Think I’m being too harsh? Check this lyrical gem from “Give It Up”: “You
lame ass niggas ain’t spittin fo’ shit/Dump truck niggas, ya’ll garbage pail
kids/Got my swisha in my hand, and my fifth on tuck/Got one thing on my mind,
and that’s givin’ it up.” Thankfully, Jeezy comes in with
a surprisingly lightning-fast flow, and makes this song into one of the more
enjoyable ones.
Therein lies the album’s biggest problem – if it was only Blood Raw and
Slick Pulla rhyming, perhaps they’d be able to get away with
their uninteresting personalities and flows; but when they are outshined on every
single track, it emphasizes their weaknesses that much more. Not every
single track is a complete loss though. A brief departure from the norm, “Live My Life,”
is a welcome change of pace. A light guitar creates the perfect musical
backdrop for the nostalgic tone of the song.
There aren’t many features on this album. Bun B and Jadakiss
stop by to bless the “Go Getta Remix.“ Though it would seem that Kiss
would be out of place on the track, he actually fits the bill pretty
well: “Everywhere I go they beggin’ me/But one wrong decision could ruin
your legacy/Let me see, I could break ’em down and take longer to slow sale
’em/Or chill for a minute, sit on ’em and wholesale ’em.”
There’s really no way to describe Cold Summer as a lesser version
of a Jeezy album. I know it, Jeezy knows it,
and Def Jam knows it. Otherwise, why didn’t they spring for another
Timbo track? Or how about a verse from Hov? I
mean, he was on Fall Out Boy’s album, for Heaven’s sake! I
in no way recommend this album to anyone. If you bought it, return it and pick
up Jeezy’s The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102…or
just wait for the inevitable 103.