It all began 6 long years ago when Fat Joe Da gangsta released his debut album ‘Represent’ on Relativity. Since then he’s gone on to grow as an artist and build the foundation that would become the Terror Squad. It seems every track Pun, Cuban Link or Fat Joe dropped verses on over the last 2 years they represented TS. We’ve all waited for this since Fat Joes second album and the very very dope ‘Firewater’, that track showed the world that Don Cartegena had a strong clan and this album aims to reinforce whats already been said. So its time for the 6 man team of Fat Joe, Big Pun, Armageddon, Cuban link, Prospect and Triple Seis to show you what they got in store.

Big Punisher hasn’t really dropped anything spectacular over the last year or so despite having us in awe with his earlier material. When the first track ‘In for life’ kicks in, over a chilling piano Puns vocal manner alone is enough to convince you that he hasn’t fallen off, ‘Don’t even move a muscle/ clap at ya feet blast ya boot buckle/ cowboy style dance bitch do the hustle’ are the words that get this album off to an impressive start. Pun also represents on the solo tip on the albums first single ‘Whatcha gon do’, although nothing amazing I like this track a lot, he’s displaying that hunger for the mic, his singing could have ruined it but the Beatnuts presence on production holds it in place. But the aim of this album is to showcase the new talent in TS, not the well established who are here to make you draw you to this album in the first place. By now Triple Seis may not have gained your attention, sure he did the hook on ‘Beatnuts forever’ but most of you out there this will be your first encounter with this emcee. He commands a lot of attention on the mic, on tracks such as the previously mentioned ‘In for life’, the full TS line up of ‘Pass the glock’ or on his solo track, the great ‘War’ with its dramatic beat switching. In fact each emcee has their own solo track, Fat Joe goes for the jugular on ‘Bring it on’ which is ok but nothing great. Prospect comes a lot better on ‘’99 live’ then Cuban Link and Armageddon come with less appealing cuts on ‘All around the world’ and ‘gimme dat’ respectively.

The production on this album is very good but at times it seems just a lil too similar, just that moody sound that would be good for about a third of the album not the whole thing. But you could say ‘hey that’s Terror squad, they ain’t on no jiggy shit’, but we’ve all learned from past mobb deep material that monotony can set in if you don’t switch the sound and vibe up now and again. It doesn’t let the album down too much though. Also like the Wu although they are solo artists coming together to form some supergroup, you only see them all together on one track, (‘Pass the glock’) and that’s the not the greatest cut on here.

Terror Squad have proved they can deliver a good album but they still need some work here and there which can definitely be improved if the opportunity of a second album arises. So basically this album is pretty solid, not in there with 99’s best but definitely worth the purchase, your not gonna hear no thought provoking insightful lyrics just some good beats and lyrics that’ll keep those neck muscles working.