Styles P is one of the hardest spitting rappers out; a mixture of gangster/political/drug rapper with a bit of consciousness sprinkled on top. Green Lantern has served Hip-Hop wearing many hats including those of DJ and producer. Together they combine for the Green Ghost Project, awash in comic book imagery on the cover and packed with the promise of two industry vets in its DNA. With such promise you wonder whether they can deliver. For the most part, they certianly do.
The album opens with immediate fire on “Nothing To Lose.” The beat is well designed, with enough ambient noise over the hard drum to entertain while giving Styles enough room to rip. Styles P is determined to hold his title as the hardest spitter out and there is fire in his gut on this track.
Sheek Louch drops by to lend a hand on “Double Trouble,” a Green Lantern masterpiece powered by one of the illest Chuck D vocal samples we’ve heard in a minute. The distortion adds just the right amount of chaos.
The aggression is dialed back a bit for a slicker kind of sinister on “Calling Me” which features the crooning of Tre Williams. Scram Jones dials in a helter skelter number which changes the pace properly, intermittently dropping the bassline from the composition for mood change.
The album suffers a momentum loss with the homies-on-lockdown ode “Send a Kite.” The sentiment is ok but the execution is corny and its speed derails the pace of the album. Styles P is also a bit too dependent on profanity on this one.
The Alchemist conjures some street magic with a beat that you’d swear was done by Primo in the mid 90’s for the track “Make Millions From Entertainment.” Styles follows the beat closely and strangles every bit use from it, bringing the album back to basics. From there, Jadakiss and Junior Reid drop by to bring up the intensity on “Invasion.” Kiss is at his sweet 16 best, giving you that raw. Styles is certainly no slouch on this and bodies his verse sufficiently. Junior can get a bit annoying on the extended hook but not enough to throw “Invasion” off course.
The face scowl inducing production continues with the piano driven “Time Will Tell.” Raekwon drops by on the hook to keep the flow going, but between the beat and Styles’ trademarked malevolence, not much sauce is needed for this dish. Uglier than Betty in a teddy after three helpings of spaghetti. Green lantern hits you with some of that early Neptunes sounding gangster bounce, with NORE and Uncle Murdah in tow for “Pablo Doe.” Head-nodder big truck coming home from the club 20 degrees outside with frosted window banger. Uncle Murdah is the surprise on this one. Body bagged sufficiently.
“Real Ghostly” features production by Dutches Beatz that changes the tenor of the album. A bit too aery compared to the feel of the preceding part of the album. It almost feels like another album. There are too many annoying aspects of the beat that detract from Styles. “Pretty Little Thing” is a bit corny in spots but Styles avoids the pitfalls of the inanimate object-as-woman metaphor by switching the object each verse from a gun to weed to the microphone. Filler status.
Statik Selektah’s mixture of keys and strings wrestling for control of the rhythm of “Shadows” make for a beautiful backdrop for Styles to execute. The interspersed scratching puts a pretty red box on top. The hardcore continues with the Vinny Idol-produced “Legal Money.” Vintage Styles P over minimalist rugged compact production. The beat changeup on the last verse ramps the song up in quality and effect. The Dame Grease Composition “That’s Me” is a bit of breather, eschewing some of that tough guy energy for a more mellow mood. That’s short-lived as we return with M.O.P and “Bang Time.” Fame. Billy. Styles. A lot of lines, plenty of scowling, and a horn driven drum filled beat. Music to beat up your ex girl’s new man.
The closing salvo is a somber Styles on Poobs-produced “Born In These Streets.” The singing on the hook is trash, but it doesn’t kill the song, just deflates it a bit.
Although the cover is hauntingly similar to Duck Down’s Marc Echo campaign a few years ago, this project is dope overall. There are a few missteps musically, but when Styles stays true to his identity as an emcee there isn’t much wrong here. Styles is showcased as a superior emcee and Green ‘s ability as an exec producer is on full display. That’s a win.
out of 5
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