Artist: Black RobTitle: The Black Rob ReportRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: James Johnson
Who doesn’t remember the joint, “Whoa”? It was only one of the biggest hits of 1999. Black Rob immediately solidified himself as a hood celebrity with the songs and it carried his debut, Life Story to platinum status. With Bad Boy records suffering a significant down period following the death of the Notorious B.I.G., Bacardi Rob helped reinvigorate a faltering Bad Boy Records’ place in Hip-Hop history.
Following Life Story, Black Rob took a hiatus of sorts, due to certain things going on in his life. Of course, as the news would tell it, he had his share of issues with the law, but he also suffered a kidney disorder which surely threatened his existence. Now that he’s regained his health and strength, after five years away he’s returned with The Black Rob Report (Bad Boy).
The album immediately jumps off to a great start with “Watch Your Movements”, featuring Hip-Hop’s new King of the Hook, Akon. On this track, he reflects on the changes in his life, the things he used to do in the past coming up, and how he’s now evolved. Rob takes it straight to the club on the Scram Jones produced “Ready”, and “Y’all Know Who Killed Him” will become an instant classic, as it features timeless vocals from the Notorious B.I.G. Labelmate Ness drops in on the hood anthem “Fire In The Hole”. Other guests include Cheri Dennis, Rhea, and Minister Louis Farrakhan on “You Know What”. Other standouts include “Smile In Ya Face”, “Help Me Out”, and “Team”, which pairs Rob again with Ness, along with Making the Band 2 alumni Chopper and Babs.
Compared to Life Story, BR gets a lot more gritty with this LP, and he works hard to prove that he belongs here in the game. He’s looking to show the game what it’s been missing since he’s been absent, and judging by his work, it’s been a great deal. The Black Rob Report is sure to be a popular hood dispatch among Hip-Hop fans.