A basic beat, but the lyrical prowess of Wayne and Drake gives the song wings. The album begins its apex with ‘Pass the Dutch,” which features Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Lil Twist & Drake.

“New Shit” is mediocre at best, giving the Young Money veterans a chance to showcase their lyrical chops without an elaborate backdrop as a distraction. Parker, an ode to the infamous character in Chris Tucker and Ice Cube’s Friday. Wayne, Mack Maine & Gudda Gudda are just rambling about wanting to f*&ck Ms. It would be nice to discuss the purpose of the song, but there isn’t one. Parker,” a track better suited for one of Wayne’s mixtapes than an on an album intended to provide a base for his label.

The album’s true colors begin to show on “Ms. Production-wise, and lyrically, this song is the most complete and lucid on the album. Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine all pull their own weight on the album, but Wayne steals the show from the very first line. A sort of anthem for the male species, Wayne and friends explicitly share their love of women, multiple women. From the moment Wayne opens his mouth and the beat drops, head nodding commences. And as the album moves into its first single, “Every Girl,” the momentum continues. However, at first listen, the album shows promise. Wayne brings the song full-circle with his signature “rapper turned singer” hook, singing, “Times ain’t the same. The track features a throbbing bassline and tyrannical hi-hata, laced by the team’s gritty rhymes. “Gooder” is a deceptive opening track, featuring Young Money veterans Jae Millz, Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda & Mack Maine. Still, as a music lover and fan, you expect someone of Weezy’s standing to produce far better work than this. The 15-track debut lacks substance and cohesiveness, which may not come as a shocker for most, as how the OG of the bunch is a self-proclaimed substance abuser. Wayne and Drake are the obvious starters, with Nicki Minaj, Jae Millz, Lil’ Twist, Tyga, Mack Maine, Gudda Gudda, T-Streets, Lil Chuckee and songstress Shanell as the assists. With a roster that sounds more like a street gang than a Hip-Hop collage, the debut album from Young Money sounds more like a mixtape than an album. The multi-platinum rapper, who seems to be able to sell ice in the winter, is trying his hand at artist development with his latest project, Young Money. Music fans can now add Lil Wayne to that list. Take Jay-Z for instance phenomenal rapper, sub par CEO. And not every CEO has the business savvy or selflessness involved to develop another artist.

We are young money album artwork