AP.9 - Reality Check

Like most careers, being a musician is all about improving and growing. AP9 has been improving with every album and with Reality Check, he has not only dropped his best solo album yet but has also dropped one of the year's most consistent albums. Reality Check has no skits and no filler whatsoever. Every song is worth listening to and none are skippable, in my opinion. Of course there are the gangster tracks that we have come to expect from AP9 and the Mob Figaz, but that's not all he's got this time.

Streets starts the album off perfectly with a slappin' beat that AP9 completely rips to peices. This a good way to start the album, gangster tales and street raps done the way they are suppose to be. I'm That Nigga, which features Bobby Valentino, is just asking to be on TV and on the radio with a fantastic chorus. The Jacka and Fed-X from the Mob Figaz also join in on this one to lend a helping hand.

Tonight has AP9 spitting double time with an extremely fast flow that we have not really heard from him. This beat really has to be heard to understand how well put toegether it is. Jallah Beats is an up and coming producer to keep an eye out for. This beat here is simply a thing of beauty. The title track is my personal favorite song on the album, as AP9 gives the listener a view into some of the things hes been through in his past. He talks about being in the hospital for long periods after being shot. It's a very personal track where he speaks on his weight going from 165 pounds to 95 pounds and the doctors saying he had a 20% chance of living. For those that have gone through a lot of health issues and lost a lot of weight or been in hospitals for long periods, this song will really hit home. It hit me hard. It's rare that you get a musician (especially a rapper) opening up this much.

What It Is, which features Aaron Carter, is a song that you would never expect from AP9. Aaron Carter produced the track and sings on the hook as well. AP sounds good on this type of beat, which features some nice key work and tight drums. I was not expecting to enjoy this track, but when I listened to it a few times, I couldn't hate. AP9 is spreading his wings.

Wit That Shit features Goldie, Marvelless, T-Nutty and west coast mafia vet Killa Tay. This is that mob shit at its best right here. Killa Tay and Goldie sound right at home along side AP9 on this gangster-ass beat. Goldie says it best as he spits, "Now picture me needing radio play/ I'm from the era of C-Bo, Mac Dre, 2Pac and Killa Tay/ IT'S THE BAY!" This track right here reminds me of when the Bay was on top back in the '90s. The bass on The Afterlife was shaking my house when I had it playing on my system. One word to describe this track...SLAP! Down features Clyde Carson and Lee Majors and has a ridicolously sick beat that would make Dr. Dre proud.

Good Die Young is another deep track. It's about AP9's cousin who died at 19 years-old in the hospital. It is always sad when someone dies too young and AP9 does a fitting dedication to his little homie. This track would make anyone proud, you can almost feel his soul hurting during this track.

Overall this is a dope album and is worth your scrill. Top 5 Album of the Year for me. AP9 has made his most complete album and one of the year's best from any coast. To be honest, if you woulda told me that there was one classic rap album this year that had NO bad songs, I wouldn't have guessed it was the new AP9.

SCORE = 9.5/10