My First intro to this reveiw:
F!ck The Hoodfellaz(more on this later)

My Real(and sane) intro to my review:
Let me start off by saying that P. Diddy is a smart man. Seeing his Bad Boy label falling rapidly by the minute he decides to get in touch with MTV and start up the Making The Band 2 show. Puff couldn't go wrong. Out for 40,000 contestants the 6 hottest would make the team. Those set some unbelievable odds for some really hot a$$ rappers to be on the team. Not to mention the fact it would become a hit TV show with as much(maybe more) drama than other classic MTV reality shows Road Rules and Real World. From Fred fighting with damn near everyone in the house to Dylan showing mass disrespect to anyone who crosses his path, to Sara's husband dissing band-mates, to Puff showing the world he really is a boss, we saw more drama than music in the show. For P. Diddy and Bad Boy, things couldn't looks better. For last couple of years Puff has had to try and push Loon to become a rap superstar, but no one feels his wack and boring Looney Tunes.

Bad Boy finally has a hip-hop act which has the masses buzzing as much as it did with Biggie & Ma$e. Not because they are better(because they damn sure aren't better than Big), but because of the diversity of each person's style in the group and potential they all have. Not to mention the drama. First we got Young City, formerly known as Choppa he had to change his name because of the No Limit cat named Choppa and word is Master P wasn't gonna allow two Choppa's. For those of you who are thinking who the f!ck is No Limit Choppa. Remember that song Choppa Style. "Chop, Chop Choppa Style, Choppa Rock, Rock". Yeah that corny a$$ dude. Young City kind of has a flow sounding like a mix between Young Turk & B.G. both former Cash Money artists. However Young City's lyrics are much better than those two. Next is Babs. Now I aint tryna diss but Babs kind of looks like a dark skinned Jay-Z in my opinion but I must admit she sh!ts on the other big commercial female artist such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown. Babs has the type of hunger that reminds me of a young Ill Na Na, before she became Fox Boogie Bullsh!t. Babs wants it bad and she showed it on the show. Then we have the Reggae rapper of the group in Dylan Dillenger. Sure Diddy probably added him on in the light(pun intended) of Sean Paul. However Dylan isn't a dancehall king like Mr. Dutty Rock. Dylan spits some hardcore lyrics and if you understand what he is saying it is just absolute fire. His lyrics are crazy tight, but some will probably jusy like him because he sounds nice and they haven't a clue what the f!ck he is saying. The next rapper up is the gritty Freddy P. Fred has one of the oddest styles in hip-hop. Fans of rappers like Aesop Rock may be able to appreciate this however, he isn't nearly as deep as Aesop Rock is. Not saying that Fred is bad, he may be the best lyricist in the group. He spits and ugly flow with lyrics that will stab your ears like vocal daggers. Next is Sara, who is the most underused in the group. Well maybe not as underused as Dylan, but at least Dylan gets verses to spit on. Sara gets hooked with chorus's and only on a few songs does she get the chance to let loose and damn does she shine. Sara has a powerful voice that will blow you away on Go Steady. Next is my favorite in the group and fellow Philadelphian Elliot Ness. Now as an avid E Ness fan even before he blew up, I've got both albums he had on the streets and I am going to make a trip to Uptown Flavors sometime this week to go get The best of E Ness, which I possessed at one time before some jacka$$ friend of mine broke it. If you have been a Ness fan and have his previous sh!t you will notice his style has taken a bit of a change. His voice is a bit harder and it helps as he can deliver some earth shattering lyrics and verses.

Oh yeah the reason I dissed Hoodfellaz earlier is because of this. These fools are signed to Bad Boy and they feel that because Puff is giving all his attention to Da Band the Hoodfellaz released a song dissing Da Band. I mean come on now. Is it they fault Puffy was trying to bring Bad Boy back to the fore front of hip-hop? Instead of Da Band they should have dissed Puff. For that Diddy should make the Hoodfellaz walk there a$$ a couple miles and grab a cheesecake. I mean why diss fellow label mates bacause they getting shine? Sh!t I didn't see Skillz running around dissin Talib Kweli when Rawkus pushed his a$$ back damn near THREE years. He keeps cool and is just waiting for his time. Hoodfellas cryin like lil b!tches. Mad because Puff didn't see the light in them to blow. Why? Because they are wack as f!ck.

Enough with the beef, lets see if Da Band can actually match the hype. Rap LeBron James? This group fits the bill.

1. We Here(Intro) - N/A - The Band thanks Diddy and big ups all the contestants that didn't make the band.

2. My Life - $$$$$ - This song features E-Ness, Fred & Babs with Sara on the hook. The album starts off on the right foot with this hot track. E-Ness opens up rappin about being in jail. He talks of his family situation and how stuff was when he got out. Sara drops a superb chorus on this track welcoming us to her world. Fred spits some sh!t of how he made the mistake of sellin crack out of his house and he got shot but he had his vest on and made the hater pay. Babs spits some tight sh!t of the surroundings of her neighborhood. She talks about the things going on in the hood and how she came up battling other females. The beat on this track is a perfect fit for this song and everything just sounds good here.

3. Living Legends - $$$1/2 - This song features everyone but Sara. Dylan is on the chorus. Babs opens up spitting some hardcore gangsta b!tch lyrics that Im not feeling too much. E-Ness talks about how he had the chicks running him down and he was either gonna be a rapper or hustler because he had no change at college. Fred has a couple bars at the end of this verse spitting some hustler crap. Dylan's chorus is tight as hell. Young City starts off the second verse with some pretty average gangsta raps even though his "bullets", "push ups" rhymes was sloppy as hell. Babs spits some hustling raps after City and it is pretty average. Then City goes again and spits some average, as does Ness after him. This song is pretty average with Dylan's chorus giving that half rating above average. One problem is Dylan's "Dong-a-Dong-a-Diddly-Dong-a-Dong-Dong" outro. Man that sh!t is annoying.

4. Tonight - $$$ - The whole Band is on this one. This song has Da Band all spittin some generic sex lyrics. This is the first of four straight sex/love songs. Lyrically this song is bogus for the most part but for some reason I manage to listen to it and enjoy it. Babs, Sara and Ness on the chorus do a great job. Fred's verse may be a bit elementary but I like the flo when he end it with "Hit the airport, 4 in the mornin' we gonnnneee/Off to Paris to meet Seannnnn/I cant disappoint Mr. Combs, but first I need the number to ya phonnnne". Sara's verse is phenomenal. She really just pours it on the songs for the 20 seconds they give her. E-Ness spits some pretty above average lyrics here. Dylan lyrically has the best verse on this song. the commercial beat fits the song nicely.

5. How U Like Me Now - $$$ - This beat is commercial as f!ck. With that said it is hot as sh!t. Ness, Young City, Fred and Sara are on this song with a guest appearance from Mysterious. Sara of course is saddled with the chorus. Ness raps about how this chick who used to play him is now on his jock(I can't believe I said that). He tells how she is nothin but a freak to him and how she was nothing but a gold digger. Sara once again blows you away with the chorus. Young City spits some lyrics bragging about his crew and how they get the hoes and whatnot. Mysterious shows up here and gives us a couple of annoying bars. Fred spits some pretty tight lyrics to downplay the worthless verse Mysterious just gave us.

6. I Like Your Style - $$ - Everyone in Da Band is on this track. This song is somewhat reminiscent of Tonight. Everyone spits some sexual rhymes. Sara does a nice job in her part. Lyrically Fred shines on this track. The chorus on this track is pretty wack. It has Babs and Dylan going back and forth saying how they like each others style. This beat has a type of caribean feel to it, but to me its just annoying.

7. What We Gonna Do - $$$ - The last of the four love songs includes everyone but Dylan. Ness opens up with some average rhymes here. Young City's verse here is pretty tight. The chorus is average. Babs does a good job with her verse and Fred rips this joint up but it gets annoying having four of these type of tracks one after another. It was a terrible idea to do that and will probably turn you off to this track which isn't that bad. The beat on this track is tight and the string just add to that.

8. Why - $$$$1/2 - All of Da Band is on this track, with Dylan just giving an intro to the song. This beat is hard and dark, with violins, bells & knocking bass. Choppa comes up and gives some solid rhymes backed by Sarah's singing in the background. He raps about hood life and the sins he did in his life. Fred comes up next and rips it. He raps about the devil f!ckin with him "Im From the dirty we don't even know the price of soap". The chorus has Fred askin why the devil f!ckin wit him and why the devil is huntin' him. The best verse however has Elliot Ness and Babs going back and forth then Ness takin over.
(Ness)"Ha, It's like somebody Lookin over my shoulder/
It's hard to focus in the open, it's like i'm surrounded by vultures/"
(Babs)"Ha, So Many haters I don't know where to turn/
And N!ggas be starin' us down like we got money to burn/"
(Ness)"First things first, Im sick of all you industry thugs/
Ya feel me, Your an enemy if anything cuz/"
(Both)"In Memory Of"
(Ness)"Death to the powers that be/
See i'm a muthaf!ckin soldier aint no coward in me/
Somebody is constantly watching and following me/
Throw shades over my eyes wont allow me to see/"
(Both)"Allow Me to Peep/"
(Ness)"Forget about readin the fine print/
My lyrical content on some vietnam sh!t/
Ninety-Nine percent dawg top of the line/
I'm back on my grind, Satan in the back of my mind/
Go ahead wit the bullsh!t, tomorrow ain't promised/
Push ya lil rock, stop for gettin knocked unconscious, Ha"

9. Stick Up - $$$ - This song belongs to Ness and Fred. Both Fred and Ness go back and forth spitting lyrics from the first person perspective of robbing a bank. Lyrically both Ness and Fred do an above average job here. However the beat sounds a bit off from the song. This is only real song where I think the production is a bit off. Its kinda tight how Ness say they got a chopper on the top of the building and that plays into the next track and Young City's solo.

10. Whatcha Be Doing(Interlude) - N/A - Babs ask Young City what he do in N'awlins, and Choppa City says "Chill, F!ck and eat."

11. Chopped Up - $$$$1/2 - This song belongs solely to Young City and he does a great job. The production has that type of Mannie Fresh in his prime type of feel. Guerilla Warfare type beat. After listening to this it is obvious that he is the real Chopper. He proves that he can go solo here. Here Young City spits about his hood Bad Boy and he spits some braggadocio before adding the cars into it but still he rips this joint. The only bad part of the song is the stink a$$ chorus. It is annoying and may trun some off.

12. Bad Boy This, Bad Boy That - $$$$$ - This is the lead single for Too Hot For TV. It includes Babs, Ness, Young City & Fred. Lyrically each of the four spit some hot sh!t and the flow of this song is tight. There really isn't a chorus so to speak, but at the end of anothers verse, the next rapper comes in stating "Bad Boy This, Bad Boy That, This Bad Boy will beat you down wit a baseball bat". Babs spits some gangsta a$$ lyrics lettin you know she's the best. Ness spits some sick a$$ punchlines here, with a gangsta twang. Young City spits some commercial sh!t but it isn't all that bad. Fred spits some hardcore gangsta ish and punchlines that are crazy sick. The beat is sick with claps and synthesizer. Diddy does his annoying sh!t at the end of the track but he doesn't ruin it, he just makes an a$$ out of himself, Fred says "Too Hot to hold in the headphones this time", Puff comes up after his with "Too Hot to hold, Too Cold to fold come on na-now". Will the real P. Diddy please shut up!
Fred
"I'm Bad, but not a boy I got a part of his name/
Yo homie, I see you slippin then its off wit the chain/
Yo head, harder than wood, than Im sawin' ya brain

13. Do You Know - $$$$$ - This track is produced by Wyclef and it is a banger. Everyone from Da Band shines here. Each rapper reps where they from going back and forth and the flow is just perfect. Babs reps her set tellin how people dress, and Ness does the same about Philly. Young City rips this track up crazy. Then the mood turns to more gangsta lyrics. Fred tells how he just tryin to let his kids eat. Sara drops a superb chorus. In the second verse the rappers spit about their lives in the hood. After another chorus Dylan jumps on this track and tears it up. After him Babs, Young City, Fred & Ness spits proving people wrong. Here ness drops a sickenin verse about him and his jailmates raising up, rioting and and getting out of the pen.
Elliot Ness
"And Im a proove it, to the chicks that cold shouldered me/
And all the record labels that chose to look over me/
Ha, I aint going back to jail/
To a pack of oodles and noodles and a wack in my cell/
Dudes get cut in the yard, We rushin the guards/
We takin over its a riot gun-buttin the sarge/
All of my homies with wheels waitin to for em to peel/
Its always real we peel penitentiary steel/"

14. Hold Me Down - $$$$$ - This track features everyone but Sara. The beat is hard and gritty and it fits as each bandmate spit some gritty and hungry lyrics. Babs kicks it off spitting some gangsta lyrics and some braggadocio. Fred rips into this track spittin some hustlin and gangsta raps with some punchlines with some echo's in the background. Young City goes wild on this track just rippin it all up. The echo's on his part are also a great touch. E Ness jumps on this track and spits some tight gangsta punchlines. Dylan also spits some good stuff here and ends it off on a high note. This track just shows the hunger the band has. The potential fire burning within. If they can stick together it will be nothing but flowers for these cats.

15. Cheers to Me, Mr. Bentley - $$$(N/A?) - Im not sure if I should rank this. Mr. Bentley rappin with the Madd Rapper co-signing in the background. He is just pretty much shouting out everyone from Dofat to Diddy to everyone in Da Band. He also tells how most peeps think that getting in the rap game is nothing but he says its hard work.

16. They Know - $$$$1/4 - This song is just Young City and Fred representing the dirty part of the band. This song has one of those chorus that sounds like Juvenile's. However Young City and Fred spits some pretty tight lyrics here. Choppa tells of life in the 3rd Ward and raps about hustlin. Fred spits some gangsta lyrics here. He also gives a lot of love to Puff and tell that they do clash but he still and will always have love for Diddy. The chorus is catchy as hell. The beat is tight with trumpets in the background and some thumping basslines and just sounds like one of those old Cash Money hits, but with much better rappers.

17. Go Steady - $$$$$ - Sara shows why givin the exposure she can be an absolute force in the world of R&B in the future. She has perfect control of her pitch levels and commands this song like a general. After listening to this anyone who thinks she is out of place because she write country songs, you will take the opinion and throw it in the trash immediately. After some phenomenal singing E-Ness comes up on the track and spits some pretty sentimental lyrics here about not cheating and staying true to his love.

18. Holla(Outro) - N/A - This just has everyone shouting out everyone that helped them, like Dofat, Sean Prez, Diddy and the like.

After listening to this for a first time I was disappointed. My expectations were through the roof and really I shouldn't have expected a Illmatic calibur album. After listening to it I realize that the album really picks up from the middle to end. Sure it starts off pretty slow other than My Life, but then it picks up and runs off like Priest Holmes. Each member of Da Band show that they are hungry for success(yes even Dylan). If and when each member branches off to do solo projects I wont be surprised if Sara is the most successful of the crew, even though I think Ness will also do great solo. In a matter of fact I think each of these guys would drop pretty good above average solo albums. If Da Band stays together and doesn't d!ck itself over with the stupid immature sh!t seen on the show, these 6 could be a force to be reconned with. I think Bad Boy finally has its first really big hip-hop act since Ma$e. Now all we need is Diddy to stay out of videos and off of songs.

3.9 Stars rounded up to 4.

Top 3 Songs:
1.My Life
2.Do You Know
3.Hold Me Down
Honorable Mention(s): Go Steady & Bad Boy This, Bad Boy That

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving