Recession 2

On album number three, ATL icon Young Jeezy spreads his wings-- flirting with radio-friendly R&B-influenced tracks and soul-tinged nostalgia-- while maintaining the same intense feel with his trademark slow-rap delivery and crack-peddling subject matter. THE RECESSION largely relies on the same stable of producers who've been with Jeezy since LET'S GET IT-- Don Cannon, Midnight Black, Shawty Redd, Drumma Boy, and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. Thus the overall production sound is consistent with his first two solo albums--cinematic and brooding, built on seething synthesizers and frantic drum kits--while a handful of R&B hooks push THE RECESSION closer to commercial appeal. For the most part though, Jeezy keeps it gangsta as he reworks 2Pac's "Ambitions as a Ridah" on "Hustlaz Ambition," sneers at his enemies on "By the Way," and revisits his crackspot origins on "Crazy World." The biggest departure is undoubtedly the album's closer, "My President"--that sees Jeezy, alongside Nas, pondering the possibilities of a black president.