Pastor Troy - By Any Means Necessary
Reviewed By: ULTIMATECDLINK
Album Rate: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
Pastor Troy returns with the follow-up album to "Universal Soldier" on Universal Records. The album features guest spots from 8Ball, Juvenile, Chip, Ms. Shyneka, DJ Mars, Lil Pete & Lil Will from D.S.G.B., as well as the single "Ridin Big".
1. I'm Warning Ya (Intro)-- starts off with a phone call with the chants of "We Them Georgia Boys" in the background. PT lets us know that people have been copying his style and how the people in the Dirty South were raised on his music.
2. Crank Me Up-- hard ass electric guitar riff over a clappin beat. "Crank me up - PT baby is bout to get buck". Very radio friendly sounding track but I ain't feelin this one too much.
3. Ridin Big-- the first single from the album features a very nice DJ Toomp pulse pounding beat. The chorus goes "the hardest decision I've got to make - was which car I'm gonna take when I say - I'm ridin big ho". Basically an ode to the various big baller vehicles PT has got to choose from. Nice catchy single.
4. Atlanta-- tight ass laid back piano laced beat with a tight bassline. Pastor Troy raps about the pitfalls of bein a rap star--having to miss home and family while doin shows on the road. This is definitely one you'll have on replay for a while.
5. Representin-- nice lil bouncy clappin midtempo beat. PT raps about representing for the ATL and the homies in the hood by having the tightest rides and just hustlin his rap game. Tight song.
6. About To Go Down-- "It's bout to go down - pop that Mo - blaze that dro". Pastor Troy raps about how 2004 is goin to be another banner year for him. Tight beat but not much else here on the track.
7. Off The Chain (f/ Ms Shyneka)-- this track has a laid back midtempo snare bassline beat. PT raps about pickin up a girl in the club on a Friday night. "Off the chain - damn boo - where you been all my lifetime - lemme fuck you til the sun shine". Decent track but probably not one you'll bump over and over.
8. Benz (f/ DJ Mars)-- Pastor Troy sings and asks "Benz? - how many of us have them?" and also raps about his big body Benz. Skip this one because it's a horrible song not even worth the time or effort.
9. Lil Snap & Lil Killa (interlude)-- this one starts with Pastor Troy talkin to the kids Lil Snap and Lil Killa who are tryin to get in the booth and lay down some bars. This is one of the better songs on the whole album believe it or not. Definitely worth checkin out and probably keepin an eye on these cats in the future.
10. Boys To Men (f/ Chip & 8Ball)-- PT raps about growin up and seeing stabbings and shootings as a teenager. Typical life in the hood street tale. R&B hook goes "no one to guide me - I'm all alone - no one to cry on - need shelter from the rain to ease the pain - changin from boys to men". 8Ball drops a tight verse which salvages the track. Otherwise, it would be another skippable song.
11. Crazy (f/ Lil Will)-- guitar and horns and piano laced beat. Pastor Troy raps about how his fame has changed his so-called friends and homies. To me, the beat doesn't fit the verses PT is droppin. Probably didn't need an R&B hook either.
12. Nice Change (f/ Lil Pete & Juvenile)-- Lil Pete starts it off with a verse about bustin up a nigga that has been bumpin his gums a little too much. PT drops a tight verse about movin weight. Juve does the hook which goes "I heard about the money that's some nice change - for the right price will bust the right brain" but he doesn't drop a verse. Very tight song.
13. Fuck Them Niggas-- dedicated to the punk ass bitches out there. Finally Pastor Troy gives us that gangsta style that made his fans stand up and recognize him when he was an underground nigga. You gotta love the line "they love 50 Cent because he got shot 9 times - but what about me, I done shot 9 motherfuckers". Tight ass song.
Overall, the production on the album is pretty nice but there was no indication of PT taking a step away from the commercial sounds of "Are We Cuttin" from the "Universal Soldier" album. It took Pastor Troy until the last track to give us that patent PT venom on the mic instead of the flows about his cars which was all too prevalent on this album. Loyal Pastor Troy fans will be disappointed with this one although after a few listens, some of the tracks like "Ridin Big" and "Atlanta" are standouts. The fact that PT gave us harder material on the D.S.G.B. and "Crunk & Disorderly" albums will make his fans wish he would go back to his underground, indy sound.
Pastor Troy - By Any Means Necessary