Young Jeezy gets serious about 'The Recession'

09/17/08 - Young Jeezy's economic expertise may come mostly from his stint as a crack dealer, but he's tackling serious world issues (like the uh, recession) on his latest LP, The Recession.Just goes to show that even fiscal policy can be hood... Provided that you talk about it in the context of dealing drugs outside a Super 8 Motel, and, maybe, killing some people.

Now, it stands to reason that any man who calls himself "Young Jeezy" would care more about hos and dime bags than the state of the economic and political landscape -- but these are dark times . even for the most ballin' of gangstas.

And these days, Jeezy's got some heavy issues on the brain. Issues heavier, even, than the ice around his wrist. Which, apparently, is pretty damn heavy-- "glacier on my wrist, same thang that sunk the Titanic," he raps.

In any case, Jeezy's ready to school us in some of his trenchant (yet appropriately thug) political and economic views. On "My President," for example, Jeezy cheers on Obama ("Obama for mankind"), disses the army (" 'Be all you can be'- now don't that sound like some dumb shit?") and passionately voices his support for spinach dip ("love me some spinach dip"). So, you know... all the big issues are covered.

The album, as a whole, makes for a wry, dark listening experience. Jeezy's rhymes veer between witty ("I ain't an X-Box so why you niggas tryin' to play with me") and gloomily paranoid ("I think Bush tryin' to punish us / send a little message out to each and every one of us.") The Recession is marked by gritty, thick beats that meld seamlessly with Jeezy's Southern swagger. The tracks are bold and anthemic, but throughout Jeezy keep his roll slow and flow easy.

The track "Circulate" is notable for its use of Billy Paul's 1975 track, "Let the Dollar Circulate." The track features Motown horns backing the hook, "meat prices up to steak, utilities are on their way/damn/ airlines are running' late."

Yes, it seems the man behind wise words such as, "real niggas do real things, ho niggas do ho shit" (technically true) is branching out. And it suits him. Jeezy's gruff voice is well suited to the graver issues of the day.

Jeezy isn't breaking any new ground here, but he does a nice job of mixing (sort of) socially conscious rhymes with the over-the-top flaunting we've come to expect from commercial rap. To Jeezy's credit, this keeps the album from getting too weighty.

Flaunting is, after all, what makes commercial rap a tidy form of escapism for those of us not currently involved in the crack/rap game. Because even though most of us, sadly, will never be able to brag about having "more Gs than a Gucci bag," it's oddly comforting that, even in a bleak economy, our nation's rappers are still able to keep up appearances.

We may be in the grips of a recession, but at least the rappers can still afford their chrome spinners, elaborate tropical fish tanks, and fancy hookers.

So Jeezy's adding a little substance to his swagger: even if it comes off a little haphazardly, at least his heart's in the right place. And while listening to The Recession won't cure your financial woes (sorry), it will provide you with solid rhymes, hard-edged beats, and maybe a little inspiration to uh, get your hustle on.