Stalley dropped last week. Since then, I’ve bumped O.H.I.O bout 33 times over. Don’t let that fool you, though. Because after those 33 rounds, I still don’t know how I feel about Stalley. Sounds stupid, but trust me. You’ll understand after I explain.

Now y’all know I like to preface my shit before I put it all out there. Today is no different, but I got a few extra prefaces for Stalley.

 

Preface 1 – The last time I listened to Stalley was on the Rich Forever tape. Yes…years ago. See preface 2 for why. This is an advantage, I feel, for me to review the album. I don’t know what buzz or hype there is out there for Stalley. My review will be based strictly off the music. Track for track. Front to back.

 

Preface 2 – Stalley is the kind of rapper who, if you have his joints playing in the background, you’d think he was fuckin’ BODYIN’ shit. But when you listen closely, that’s not the case. Stalley says a whole bunch of nothin’. I’m not tryna’ shit on him though…seriously. I respect the grind.

 

Preface 3 – The production on this album is ridonkulous. The beats on this shit knock! There isn’t a trash beat on this whole thing. There’s only 12 songs, but that’s 12 songs of straight heat beats.

 

Preface 4 – Stalley is very fortunate to be rockin’ with mmg. I believe if he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be able to create a level of interest that other unsigned rappers do on their own. For example, Chance the Rapper.

 

With all that said…let’s do this.

 

1 – Welcome to OHIO – This joint sets the album off. It’s less a song and more like a warm up. Beat is hot and there’s a lot of talking/chanting. No showcasing of bars here. Just, like I said, a warm up.

 

2 – Jackin’ Chevy’s – The thing I didn’t like about this song is how long it took before he started rhyming. Its almost a whole minute before he starts getting busy. It may not seem like much, but listen to the song and you’ll agree. Now as far as the concept of this song, its mad boring and old school to me. Like, why are you making songs about stealing cars? I understand a couple lines within a song about jackin’ Chevy’s, but a whole song? The concept is just weird to me. As far as the lyrical content, its boring and elementary.

 

3 – Problems – Beat is hot. Hook is hot. Lyrics…elementary and boring. I don’t get why Stalley was signed with bars this mediocre. I could easily see Jada or Nas rippin a hole through this. Matta fact, I’m gonna do that for the rest of this review. I’ll let you know who SHOULD’VE been offered the beat.

 

4 – Boomin’ – This beat is retarded. We…Todd…did. Love this shit, but once again Stalley doesn’t show up. Fuck the police he’s steady boomin’ in the projects? I get the whole fuck the police shit, but to be the hook, I feel like that’s a 90s thing. This beat isn’t specific to any rapper that I can think of. There are too many that coulda jumped on this and killed it.

 

5 – What it Be Like (ft. Nip Hussle) – You already know I was looking forward to this one because my dude Hussle is on this shit. After listening to this album so many times, Stalley’s verse sounds better and more listenable. But I remember the first 5 spins or so still had me like “what is this guy saying”. Just more boring bars. I like how Nipsey switched it up when he came on talmbout “what it C like”.

 

6 – One More Shot (ft Ross and August Alsina) – I heard a lot of people talkin’ about this one. They were saying good things. I agree, it’s hot. I don’t think its spectacular, but I can bump it…repeatedly. I think it’s Alsina’s hook mixed with the production that keeps me coming back.

 

7 – Always Into Something (ft Ty Dolla  $ign)- Yet another crack beat. Sound like some shit Dr. Dre woulda made and hopped on himself. I’m sure he woulda called Snoop to put in work on this. Yo, Stalley has a story, just like everyone else, but he doesn’t know how to tell it in a clever, catchy way. He’s just not that good at putting hot lyrics together.

 

8 – System On Loud – Good lord, I love this shit. Straight Outkast beat right here. 3 Stacks or Kendrick would be a good fit here. Once again, when I was first listening to this shit, all I heard was Stalley’s verses. The beat was secondary. And I was bored. Now, after so many plays, Stalley takes a back seat to the beat. Not just on this joint, but almost all the songs on the album.

 

9 – 3:30pm – “Where the niggas ride, and the girls so purty”…Lyrics like these are what make me question what makes this guy intriguing. I don’t get it, they’re so elementary. I love this shit now though because of the beat. BTW, this is a straight Drake joint. He’d rip this.

 

10 – Chavelle (ft. Rashad) – This is a where he compares a whip to a chick. I don’t like it. Too slow for me. I can hear Ross on this talking some pimp shit. Maybe even UGK can get on this (rip Pimp).

 

11 – Free – HOLY SHIT!…EASILY my favorite joint on the album. This is one of them beats that make you think you in a rap video moving in slowmo and shit. And FINALLY Stalley type shows up. He doesn’t body it, but he does a pretty good job. Two verses of him talkin’ some drug game shit. This is a beat a lot of rappers could jump on, but I could see early 90s Jay on some introspective shit on this.

 

12 Navajo Rugs (ft. De La Soul) – Crack beat. Early Mobb Deep is who I can hear on this. Yet another track where I listened to the Stalley and the beat was secondary, but now the beat and hook just puts me in another atmosphere. Shouts to Stalley for scoopin’ De La on a joint.

 

Here’s this album’s shortcoming…STALLEY! It’s unfortunate that he can’t show up lyrically. As I mentioned, he has a story to tell, but he’s not that good at telling it. Hopefully in the future, his rhymes will match his beat selection.

 

Yet, I still give the album 3.5 Meek Mill jail sentences outta 5.