Review Roundup: Young Jeezy - 'TM:103: Hustlerz Ambition'
Three years after the release of The Recession, Young Jeezy returns with his latest album TM:103: Hustlerz Ambition, available now. Since then, the landscape of hip-hop has shifted with the rise of artists including Drake, J. Cole, and Big Sean. Does Jeezy still have a place among the current crop of MCs? Find out what the critics had to say about his comeback.
The New York Times: To his credit he’s not mired in old modes on this album, which shows off a more mature Young Jeezy while not quite aging him. The changes are thematic, in part, but also technical. He’s also a better, more accessible rapper than he has been in the past, but this is actually a step backward.
USA Today: Jeezy’s rhymes have lost none of their hard-core edge; the only question is whether fans will still find them inspiring. 3/4
Rolling Stone: Jeezy stays stubbornly true to form on TM:103, rapping with minimal embellishment about getting rich (and high), treating beautiful cars poorly and beautiful women worse. The beats, produced by Southern luminaries like Drumma Boy and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, are full of imperious synthesizer pageantry, rumbling bass, and frenetic percussion. 3.5/5
Los Angeles Times: What he sacrifices in innovation he compensates for with focus and precision. His ad-libs and punch-ins still slap with ominous Old Testament brutality… Don’t call it a comeback; he’s been feared for years. 3/4
Washington Post: On an album littered with guests, one of Jeezy’s best attributes is made all the more clear—for a rapper, he’s nearly peerless when it comes to delivering hooks, harsh croak and all. Every chorus sounds like a triumph and almost makes you want to chew on fiberglass and try to shout along.
Rap-Up’s Favorite Tracks: “What I Do (Just Like That),” “I Do,” “F.A.M.E.”