Every week I tell myself that I will not put Lil’ Wayne’s picture up for The Numbers Game, but almost every week I end up doing it. I’m not a hater or a dick rider; it just seems he can’t be stopped. Even the powerful Hannah Montana has to take notice. While Miley Cyrus did take the #1 spot this week, she didn’t sell half of what Weezy sold in his first week. If Hip-Hop is on top you know I’m all for it. Other than that: Nas is half way to Gold status, Plies is really close to Gold status, and Hell Rell & Skillz get wood status. Let’s look at the numbers…

#5 Lil’ Wayne/Tha Carter III (Last Week: #2) – 85,166; Total: 1,997,218 (Platinum) [7 Weeks]
#8 Nas/Untitled (Last Week: #1) – 63,279; Total: 250,357 [2 Weeks]
#11 Rhianna/Good Girl Gone Bad (Last Week: #10) – 33,708; Total: 1,516,282 (Platinum) [60 Weeks]
#18 Usher/Here I Stand (Last Week: #19) – 23,590; Total: 930,231 (Gold) [8 Weeks]
#20 David Banner/The Greatest Story Ever Told (Last Week: #8) – 21,212; Total: 73,114 [2 Weeks]
#27 Plies/Definition Of Real (Last Week: #26) – 17,194; Total: 417,983 [7 Weeks]
#33 Three 6 Mafia/Last 2 Walk (Last Week: #29) – 13,918; Total: 170,753 [5 Weeks]
#34 G-Unit/T.O.S. (Terminate On Sight) (Last Week: #24) – 13,881; Total: 173,250 [4 Weeks]
#131 Hell Rell/Black Mask Black Gloves (Last Week: NA) – 5,445; Total: NA [Debut]
#NA Skillz/The Million Dollar Backpack (Last Week: NA) – 2,900; Total: NA [Debut]

It’s funny. I never particularly liked Dipset but for some reason it seems like I’m always the one who gets stuck reviewing their albums (And believe me, those dudes stay putting out albums). But hey, you do what you must right? Hey, at least it an album from my favorite Dipset member, Hell Rell. I actually reviewed his debut album, For The Hell Of It, last year and although it wasn’t all that good, it still showed flashes of promise. To me, the thing that makes Ruga Rell stand out for other 2nd tier Diplomat members (Like 40 Cal, JR Writer, etc.), is his voice. He may style like Cam, Juelz, and Jimmy, but he don’t sound just like them. It the last few years, he’s also has gained a reputation of being one of the hardest rappers out. With all that said, let’s take a look at Rell’s sophomore outing, Black Mask Black Gloves (The Ruga Edition).

1. Intro (Black Gloves)
Produced by A. Raab Muzik
“I ran through thousands, I need a couple millions”. Ruga Rell gives you more of that gangster style he’s known for. I’ll give him that; on his last album he started out with a good intro also. The beat is something is you’d expect from a Dipset member.

2. Get Ready
Produced by A. Raab Muzik
The feeling of the track reminds me of something you would of heard in the early 2000’s; that not a bad thing. Over a heavy electric bass heavy track, Rell talks about ways he’ll get money; “I’m living by the mafia rules like Gotti would/I go broke do a sex tape with Megan Good/And sell it to Hollywood”. Funny, I would too.

3. Take An Oath
Produced by Manti
I guess it’s good to hear Rell talk about how money is not everything. Don’t think he didn’t cut the flossing talk though; “My birth certificate is a hundred dollar bill! My social security card is an ATM card!” He goes on the rap the not snitching rule and putting family and friends over everything else.

4. Think Of A Problem
Produced by A. Raab Muzik
This is Ruga at his best. Over a grimy New York beat, Hell Rell is materialistic and misogynistic as ever. But it’s a well done materialistic and misogynistic song. The hook is hard, the lyrics are hard,  and so is the track.

5. Come On Baby Girl
Produced by Hassiditty
With a title like “Come On Baby Girl”, you know this is a song for the ladies. The production sounds like something 9th Wonder would do. I think for Rell’s voice may be too pverpowering for the sample they use here also. When we get to the weak hook thought, that’s where he lost me at.

6. Realest Nigga Doin’ It
Produced by MGI
I don’t wanna sound like a broken record, but this sounds like something straight from Killa Season. Nothing really stands out here. I know more rap dudes lie about there reputations, but when you talk about shooting cops in the head or riding through the hood in a “’08 armor truck”, it gets to be a little much.

7. True Colors
Produced by Kajmir Royale
Erase my last statement abut the last track, this track sounds like something straight from Killa Season. But, with all my hating (Your words not mine), I can’t hate on the sample. It’s on some Rocky Balboa shit. One question though: Is every brother from Dipset a blood now? “Me and cash are like the Blues Brothers, but we play on the red team”. Just a question.

8. I Luv Stuntin’
Featuring Sen; Produced by Kajmir Royale
It’s funny; this song is supposed to be about stuntin’, but most of the verse is about fucking somebody up. The carnival beat is okay, but the song just has something missing. I could of done without the Max B impersonation on the hook though.

9. What Up
Featuring JR Writer; Produced by Hell Rell & Hassiditty
With all the questions surrounding the Dipset’s unity, I guess it’s good to have a collaboration with a member. Too bad the song is boring. The beat has a generic feel and the lyrics aren’t anything we haven’t heard before.

10. Push ‘Em Back
Produced by Goodwill & MGI
I guess this is Rell’s attempt at a club track…or maybe it’s an attempt to get ringtone sales. I swear if you combine “Lip Gloss”, the Beastie Boy’s “Paul Revere”, and dumb down lyrics, you’ll have what Hell Rell tried here, Not a good look at all.

11. Rumors
Produced by A. Raab Muzik
Just like JR Writer did earlier this year, Rell tries to clear the air about his crew’s current status. I applaud him for actually admitting that there was a problem. But at the end of the song though, you realize he really didn’t put any rumors to rest. The beat and the lyrics sounded kinda thrown together too.

12. Million Dollar Plan
Produced by Kajmir Royale
Hey, at least Rell didn’t end the album with an obligatory “I know I just killed a 100 niggas on this album but thank God for helping me make it” track. He sticks with what works for him and at the end he has a solid track. The horns on this one and the loop work well.

Bottom Line:
Hey, I won’t shit you here. Most of the Diplomats affiliated albums released in the last 2 years have not been groundbreaking and the same can be said about this album. Not saying it wasn’t good. Ruga Rell definitely had some good parts. The one problem here is that Rell has yet understand that the outstanding rappers rhyme about more that just guns, sex, and money. Rell has style, reputation, and talent. But until he stretches outside his comfort zone, he’ll never get past where he is now.

nappyPicks: “Get Ready”, “Think Of A Problem”, True Colors”, & “Million Dollar Plan”

Download: Hell Rell – “Think Of A Problem”

Damn, this is the second straight week that I had to review a Dipset album. Why am I complaining? Because The Diplomats related albums we reviewed this year so far, in my opinion, weren’t that good (Well, King Jerm liked More Than Music Vol. 2 but sometimes he be tripping). But there is a silver lining to this story; it’s Hell Rell’s album. Like I said in the 40 Cal. review last week, Hell Rell is probably my favorite Dipset member. Why you ask? Well for one, unlike 40 and JR Writer, he isn’t a Cam’ron clone. Ruger Rell has a distinct voice and flow that I feel sets him apart from the rest of his brethren. I’ll be real though, him being my fav Dipset member isn’t saying much since I think 85% of the members are clowns. But I’ll push all that shit aside and see what Rell has on his debut For The Hell Of It. Oh yea, did I forget to mention that scary ass album cover? That shit will give me nightmares for sure.

Oh shit! “The Intro” of the album is actually hot. It sounds like Just Blaze which of course I know it’s not, but it’s better than most of the production that they give to the Dipset B-Team. Rell goes hard with lines like, “I come through in the drop Porsche, two tone colors, you and ya man y’all could be tombstone brothers.” Yea, it’s that same gangsta shit, but it’s well done same gangsta shit. “Do It For The Hustlers” is next and Hell Rell reiterates his love for the streets. Over a bouncy track Rell talks about his hood. The chorus on the song isn’t terrible, just not original. “Paperboy” is a solid song that generic thug subject matter takes away from it. The beats not bad though and the hook is kinda funny; “The only way you’ll be around this motherfucking paper boy, is you quit you job and go be a paperboy…” “Deep In Love” is a stand out track on the album and utilizes a good sample. Rell rides the well produced beat and goes into his loves. One of the good lines from the song is about his love for his daughter; “I’ll kill you if you between her Similac money, I never going broke I’m a Diplomat dummy.” The thing about this album that surprises me is that the production is more Jim Jones than Freekey Zekey, if you know what I mean. This continues with “You Can Count On Me”. Rell goes more into his childhood in the hood. It’s the regular story; I sold drugs, seen murder, terrible conditions. But Rell makes it his own. Okay, “Streets Gon’ Love Me” is starting to make me realize that even though the production is better than I suspected, the subject matter is starting to get really thin. The beat is good and has a New York feel; something a lot of New York rappers are missing these days. But he’s starting to sound the same as the songs before at this point. You can exchange the song title of the last song with “Life In The Ghetto”, and I don’t think it would make a difference. The only difference? The hook on this song is garbage! Styles P shows up on “The Hardest Out” which is good because most of these B-Team Dipset members are relegated to only having Diplomats members on their albums. The paring of Styles and Rell makes since I guess; both call themselves the hardest out. The song really doesn’t produce anything memorable; I guess it could be a up North mixtape banger or something. Ruger Rell hits the strip club on the Young Dro featured “You Know What It Is”. Young Dro gives a noteworthy performance but the chemistry between Dro and Rell is nonexistent so the song is awkward. The album’s first single, “Show Off” is next and it’s…uh okay. It’s you basic flossing song complete with the flossy hook; “It’s time to show it off, watch me show it off, her ass got bigger she can’t wait to show it off’ I don’t like it but you may find the accompanying video… Nah, you won’t like that either. Cam’ron makes the mandatory appearance on “I’m Da Shit” and it has that signature chopped up/Opera Cam style too. It sounds like you average Dipset song you might have heard a hundred times already and it further shows me that Cam may not be able to pull himself out of this slump he’s in. The JR Writer featured “Respect Me” is next and at this point in the album, I think I’ve heard about a hundred references to how hard Rell is. There’s nothing really that stands out on this song unless you like to hear JR do his Cassidy impression. “I Shall Proceed” has Rell trying to make a club song. Actually it’s not a bad song; the beat sounds like a poor man’s Neptunes. Good try though but not for me. “Always Wanted To Be A Gangsta” is yet another song about how hard Ruger Rell is and I just wish dude could change it up a little bit. Once again, it’s not a trash song, its just that after a while all this shit sounds like bad Trina song (Blah, blah, blah, blah… you know). Juelz Santana shows up on “Where You From“. Is it me or are Juelz and Jim Jones slowly separating themselves from Dipset? Maybe its me but on the last few releases it seems like they barely show up (Juelz does half a hook for this song). Otherwise the song is nothing special. The last track of the album is the Dame Grease produced mixtape banger “I Ain’t Playin Wit Em”. I heard this song a while back and it had me looking forward to this album. It showcases Rell’s flows well; too bad it didn’t reflect most of the album.

Bottom Line:
Was I disappointed in this album? Not really, I wasn’t really expecting much. The production on For The Hell Of It was still better than I thought it was gonna be. The thing that really wears this album down is Hell Rell’s subject matter. Yea, I know some of you out there love the “gangsta shoot ‘em up” stuff, but in today’s market you gotta show more than that. And if you do go that way you should do it the best. After the midway point in this album you start to realize that maybe Rell is a one trick pony who can only rap mainly about one subject. I still think Rell is talented, I just think he might have needed help making a better album.

nappy Picks: “Intro”, “Deep In Love”, & “I Ain’t Playin Wit Em”

Download: Hell Rell – “Intro”