Young Jeezy The Inspiration CD

Still soaring from the enormous success of his 2005 break-out album, LET'S GET IT: THUG MOTIVATION 101, Young Jeezy released a string of hot mixtapes before returning with the studio-album sequel,THE INSPIRATION: THUG MOTIVATION 102. With the usual powerfully grim vignettes of street life, all-consuming snowman paranoia, and trademark "yeaaaaahhh"s that litter the backgrounds of every track, Jeezy maintains and elevates the infectious style that made THUG MOTIVATION great.

His hypnotic grunt-heavy flow and intense vocal presence has listeners by the throat from the album's opener, "Hypnotize," on which he hauntingly chants, "Now I command you n*ggas to get money." On the production side, the synthesizer-driven beats from Shawty Redd, Midnite Black, the Runners, Timbaland, and Mr. Collipark, among others, range from nightmarishly seething to upbeat and dreamy, always rising and falling in effectively dramatic arcs. Young Jeezy has put together another instant classic, consolidating his position at the top of the Dirty South.

Photographer: Jonathan Mannion.

Personnel: Hassanah Iroegbu (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: John Frye; Leslie Brathwaite.

Rolling Stone (p.114) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he Atlanta rapper's flow is warm and distinctly Southern, with drawled rhymes delivered at a near-molasses pace."
Spin (p.88) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Jeezy just shows up with the attitude, the ad-libs, and the punch lines, and lets it snow. Hell of a storm..."
Entertainment Weekly (p.87) - "[I]t's the Atlanta MC's immense personality that truly inspires." -- Grade: B+
Vibe (pp.121-122) - "He makes staggeringly good albums....Staying on message has helped Jeezy become one of hip hop's great self-made myths."
XXL (Magazine) (p.135) - "[Jeezy] showcases his knack for crafting commercial fare without forsaking his thugged-out mystique....[With] plenty of inspired material..."