young jeezy

With the release of Young Jeezy's third studio album, The Recession, he has created a new species of musician: the rapper-turned-economic-analyst-turned-political-pundit. Fresh off comparing Michael Phelps to himself, he immediately makes it clear that his latest work is not your quotidian hip-hop release.

Jeezy's mission statement for the album is summarized in the opening chorus, where he states, "It's a recession. Everybody's broke/So I just came back to give everybody hope." It's a refreshing listen because unlike his peers Jeezy speaks honestly about how he has been affected by recent economic woes.

On "Circulate," a blueprint for how rappers should sample Motown music, Jeezy opens up about his finances as he laments, "Looking at my stash, asking, 'Where the rest at?'/Looking at my watch like it's a bad investment."

Yet, Jeezy's focus is not solely on the economy; he also plays his hand at politics. And yes, in a move that doesn't surprise anyone, Jeezy supports Barack Obama. However, I've never heard candidate backing sound so cool. During "My President," Jeezy proclaims, "tell them I'm doing fine/Obama for mankind/We're ready for damn change/So y'all let the man shine."

But old habits die hard. Even Jeezy's newfound mission can't stop him from including a fair share of "look at me" anthems. "What They Want" dissolves into a cookie-cutter track about dealing drugs. "Amazin'" also fails to deliver. But the worst offender is "Welcome Back," a song solely devoted to disparaging the lyrical styles of his closest competitors.

Despite these missteps, The Recession only reveals how Jeezy continues to evolve from occasional chart topper to a respected lyricist and mainstay. Through hard times, Jeezy still knows that "even though my money slow/My rims keep spinning."