Track List:
01 - Intro
02 - Wake Up
03 - Violent
04 - Wanna Know
05 - Lay Down
06 - Snitch (feat. Akon)
07 - Cry Now
08 - Ballad of Obie Trice
09 - Jamaican Girl (feat. Brick)
10 - Kill Me a Mutha
11 - Out of State
12 - All of My Life (feat. Nate Dogg)
13 - Ghetto (feat. Trey Songz)
14 - There They Go (feat. Big Herk, Eminem & Trick Trick)
15 - Mama (feat. Trey Songz)
16 - 24's
17 - Everywhere I Go (feat. 50 Cent)
18 - Obie's Story
Following on from 2003's "Cheer's" comes one of 2006's most promising albums, Obie Trice's "Second Round's On Me." Much like most releases this year, this one has suffered more than it's fair share of delays and set backs. Trice had to put the album on hold twice, on New Year's Eve last year Trice was shot in the head while driving through Detroit and in April this year his close friend and label mate Proof (from D12) was shot and killed. "X-rays show, I was this close to Heaven So for future reference, I stay this close to a weapon" raps Obie proving it is still "real name, no gimmicks." Both setbacks seem to have had a dark affect on the mood of the album, although they have had a positive affect on Obie's rapping. The shooting late last year actually inspired the album's title, i.e. next bullet in the chamber is on me, while the Proof incident has helped Obie dig deep and get personal revealing his history and emotions.
Much of Obie's appeal is that he is sort of an everyman rapper, much like Rhymefest and Lupe Fiasco, which is evident throughout the majority of this album as he speaks about topics people can relate to such as coming up poor, struggling in the ghetto and his dysfunctional family etc, however, Obie seems to go off topic and lose this aspect when he does tracks like "24's," deciding to change focus and rapping about his ride and his ice. This may be the sort of content you expected from fly-by-night pop/rap acts, but it is not something you would associate with Obie and it is definitely not needed on this album when you have deep and personal tracks like "Wanna Know" and "Obie's Story," you wonder why he decided to put "24's" on the album.
First time around Obie was overshadowed by Eminem's other protégé 50 Cent and his monumental "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" album, this time around Trice has been given his time to shine and to prove he is taking it seriously the guest appearances and heavyweight producers are toned down. Most of the help comes courtesy from label mates and fellow Detroit artists. 50 Cent does appears on the track "Everywhere I Go" doing what he does best, adding a catchy hook to track, but he doesn't add a verse, he simply compliments Obie's rapping. Talking of catchy groove's, "Snitch" has Obie joined by Akon for another catchy track and the album's lead single. Although the Akon track doesn't sound any different from any other Akon song, it is not without its appeal and Akon does seem to be on top of his game now.
Nate Dogg is on board again with "All of My Life," which could be a very successful club track and much like 50 Cent, he provides another memorable chorus on what is probably the best beat on the album. For a modern Hip-Hop album, the guest appearances are not excessive and the spotlight is fixed firmly on Obie, with the exception of Eminem's top-rate verse on "There They Go."
Throughout the album Obie is showing nothing but love for his hometown. First there's the Detroit anthem "There They Go" with all-star Detroit guest appearances from Eminem, Trick Trick and Big Herk, then there is "Wanna Know" featuring a sample from seventies Detroit rock band Power of Zeus. Obie's mentor Eminem handles production for eight tracks and surprisingly, they don't all sound the same. This is a Detroit album through and through, even the opening track "Wake Up" takes time to give the youth of Detroit a message about not emulating the violence they see and hear in Hip-Hop and warns of the consequences it brings. In fact, Obie delivers a lot of the album like a story and even rounds out the set with "Obie's Story" sharing his personal feelings on growing up with his father leaving him, him turning to delivering drugs, being thrown out by his mother and starting in the rap game. Obie gets pretty deep and personal on this album and if you are expecting jokey tracks like "Got Some Teeth" on this one, you aren't going to find it.
One major gripe I have with "Second Round's On Me" is "Jamaican Girl" an Eminem produced track that is clearly aimed at the dancehall market. The track just doesn't fit with the rest of the album. I am not quite sure why Eminem felt that Obie needed to change the sound of the album randomly to appeal a slightly different demographic.
"Second Round's On Me" is a very accomplished album and a worthy follow-up to "Cheers" I am just not sure Obie will get the recognition he deserves as one of the best MCs in the game right now. Obie is a very underrated artist, but maybe the collaborations with 50 Cent, Akon and Eminem will give him a little help cracking the mainstream, without selling out the fans he earned as an underground breakthrough. His style, flow and general rapping abilities have improved over the last three years and we can only wait to see what he brings on his next album.
Hot Tracks: "Snitch" (feat. Akon), "All of My Life" (feat. Nate Dogg), "There They Go" (feat. Big Herk, Eminem & Trick Trick), "Everywhere I Go" (feat. 50 Cent), "Obie's Story"
Artist: Obie Trice