Music Is My Weapon

I am not the most avid rap listener. My musical tastes spans various genres and generally I am very selective about what kind of rap I listen to. Upon initially hearing the ubiquitous "There It Go", I didn't think that Juelz Santana's second album What the Game's Been Missing would be my cup of tea. However, I'll admit that I was wrong.

Upon listening to What The Game's Been Missing, there is a much more substance than I expected this album to have. On this album, Juelz proves that he could (with of course a lot more development and etc) to be a very credible rapper who could possibly see a mass following.

Juelz Santana comes fully into his own on his sophomore album. Lyrically, Santana still is not the most charismatic or clever, but he's got great hooks and a compelling swagger. That being said, he's figured out how to cut great songs. What the Game's Been Missing is stocked with some great anthems: the excitable chatter of "Mic Check," the loungey swing of "There It Go," and "Oh Yes," which rivals Cam'ron's "Oh Boy" for gleeful charm. It's not as guest heavy as you'd expect, with just a few cameos, including Young Jeezy and Lil' Wayne, plus Cam of course. Especially after the disappointment of Jim Jones's previous album, Juelz is helping Dipset end on a positive note for 2005. He could still stand to upgrade his lyrical sophistication, but Santana's proving adept in using what talents he's got to full effect.