Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)

by Jason BirchmeierFat Joe's Jealous Ones Still Envy follows the precedent set by his preceding albums, not offering anything particularly novel but rather carrying on in the great "Big Poppa" tradition of Notorious B.I.G.-influenced rap. Joe's still putting it down for N.Y.C., repping himself as part thug, part player. It's the age-old scenario -- if Joe's not keepin' it real on the streets the grimy way, he's loungin' like a pimp and livin' large. A few albums into his career, Joe has this approach down to a science. In fact, much of this album resembles his past work in terms of lyrics. It's only the production and guest appearances that sets Jealous Ones Still Envy apart from previous Fat Joe albums like Don Cartagena (1998) and Jealous Ones Envy (1995). Some of this album's featured producers include Irv Gotti, Rocwilder, Bink Dog, Buckwild, and Alchemist; featured rappers include Ludacris, Petey Pablo, M.O.P., R. Kelly, and Remy. Since this is Joe's first album in three years -- not counting the Terror Squad album -- fans were no doubt hungry upon its release, evidenced by the eager embrace of the album's lead single (the R. Kelly collabo, "We Thuggin'"), even if the Puerto Rican rapper is serving up more of the same.