Album Review: Yung Joc- The Grind Flu

Posted On: August 13, 2009
Posted By: odeisel
Comments: 0

By shelz.

When you think about Yung Joc, there is a chance that his music isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. His appearance on the Forbes Hip-Hop money list a few years back shocked quite a few people considering he’s only released two albums, but this dude sells cars, sunglasses and well… other people’s music. With Swagg Team Entertainment under his umbrella of lucrative ventures, he’s the person responsible for the national proliferation of “Lookin Boy,” “Stanky Legg” and doing the “Booty Dew.” Like those tracks or not, Mr. Joc aka Jasiel Robinson is seriously on his grind. So much so, it’s made him sick. According to the title of his latest release, Mr. Robinson has come down with a case of the Grind Flu.

The album is a thank you note from Joc to his fans (yes, it’s free) for hanging out over the past two years without some fresh Joc to ride to. Or possibly it’s a shout out to the heavens for allowing him to be a part of the Bad Boy family without going to jail, posing naked or being relegated to reality show hell. The tracks are tried and true country fried bounce. So if you are a fan of New Joc City and Hustlenomics, this will be right up your alley. If you’re not, then you won’t like this release either, free or not. The album is full of obligatory car culture concepts and lots of pussy worship and trap tales. However, the main focus is the money. What else could be the cure for Grind Flu?

The album opens with the title track, “Grind Flu.” It sounds like a Nyquil commercial set to some serious thump. His clique, his whip, his bitch; they’re all ill. Joc sneezes in between the verses, driving the concept home early on in the album. The lyricism is a step up from what we normally hear from Joc, but the sick flips may be too plentiful.

“Might As Well” is a call for all the trappers to get up, get out and get into some clean trap fun. The club is jumping. Joc is gonna pass a blunt and his girlfriend too. Candy painted whips sitting on really expensive rims are parked out front. What else are you going to do with your Saturday?

The album takes a dark turn with “Universal Language.” The track has a creepy synth over boom that could crack your woofers and Joc along with his guest Shawty Lo go back and forth about the click heard when the slide is pulled back and the damage done when the trigger finger gets antsy. When the heat talks, people listen.

These topics are visited and re-visited throughout the 18 track drop (19 if you include the clean version of “Hello Kitty” which actually should have been left on the cutting room floor along with the unedited version). Then there are the dirty songs. We find out that Joc claims few limits, is a beast between the sheets (what rapper isn’t?) and can beat it like an 808 on Fruity Loops.

There are plenty of features including three from the A’s favorite gutter guy, Gucci Mane. We hear Yung Ralph twice. OJ da Juiceman drops some super fruity swag and a truck load of Ayes! on “Birds.” Bobby Valentino, Chris Brown, Pleasure P, and Slim from 112 handle some of the hooks and the ladies are even repped by Nicki Minaj and a fresh off the milk carton Mia X.

There are a few things wrong here. Joc is in his best shape delivery wise when the words take that slow roll off his tongue, but he attempts to speed it up from time to time. It sounds labored when he does. The sex songs can get vulgar and his boy Jah Jah’s ode to the puddy, “Hello Kitty,” has some lyrics he may have not thought out well. “Grind with me like you’re Pretty Ricky” is definitely pause worthy. Also, as the album, spins you can get lulled into a trance with all the mid-tempo joints back to back, but that’s signature Joc.

Overall though, this type of Hip-Hop is fun when it’s done right. You know not to expect top level lyrical bombs and the like, but what you do want is some thumpity thump thump layered with boastful hood star tales and lots of money talk. Yung Joc delivers that and stays true to his style. There are some miscues but the album is free and you can easily hide it under your driver’s side seat when your boy gets in the car with his freshly pressed copy of Slaughterhouse if he’s on the snob end of the Hip-Hop fan spectrum. So meet Joc at your favorite mixtape site, cause Grind Flu is going down. Ahh-chooo. Excuse me.

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