Fat Joe Me, Myself & I [PA]

After eight years at Atlantic Records, Terror Squad leader, D.I.T.C. affiliate, and Bronx representative Fat Joe returned with his seventh solo album, 2006's ME, MYSELF, & I. Joey Crack aka Don Cartegena does as Jay-Z did, returning to the studio after a string of crossover hits and a well-publicized beef to crank out an honest, street-oriented solo album (his first through his own label, Terror Squad Entertainment).
Joe's flow and lyrical content are noticeably more aggressive on this one, spitting ferociously on the opening tracks "Pendemic" and "Damn." While ME, MYSELF, & I does have its share of crossover material, namely the H-Town screw-inspired "No Drama" and the bombastic Caribbean-crunk anthem "Make It Rain" (both produced by Scott Storch), the beats coming courtesy of L.V. and DJ Khaled are straight New York gutter. The fact that the guest list is just two deep (Lil Wayne and the Game make cameos) is perhaps the album's strongest asset. Without any lower-caliber MCs or big-name pop stars on hand for him to cater to, Fat Joe is able to accomplish what he set out to--show the world that he can still hold his own through 12 tracks of good old-fashioned street-hop.

• Format: CD
• Genre: R&B