We Got This

by David JeffriesReleased almost a year after it was announced that rapper B.G. was leaving Koch and setting sail on Atlantic Records, the B.G. & the Chopper City Boyz release We Got This landed on Koch with a whole lot of Chopper City Boyz and less B.G. than you'd expect judging from the artwork. Perhaps there are some contractual obligations to fill, or maybe this is a way to build a Hot Boys type empire from the street up since B.G. has declared that the Chopper City Boyz are designed to fill the hole left by the demise of his former group, who were likewise indie before they were major. It also took a couple albums before the members of the Hot Boys started to shine as individual personalities, and for this crew, it looks to be no different. Rappers Hakim, V.L. Mike, Sniper, and Gar are all well above competent, but picking a favorite is difficult since the highlights on the album are the tracks with the whole group and individual showcases are more like filler. Best of the group tracks is the chilling "Taking Over," a threatening number that begins with a sample of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin dropping some bleak words before the group lays out their tales of hood survival. "Make 'Em Mad" has a lean, tough, and instantly gripping hook courtesy of David Banner while the memorable "What I Like About Her" plays it smooth and polished, almost as if the Boyz were auditioning for Atlantic, proving they're ready for their R. Kelly team-up. Even if his initials are in a bigger typeface than they should be, this crew is so heavily influenced by their kingpin's style that B. Gizzle fanatics will get way more out of this up-and-down debut than the average hip-hop fan will.