Young Jeezy's never been shy about his desire for wealth, and he makes such sentiments clear right from the start of The Inspiration. The opener, "Hypnotize," with its repetitive hook of "I command you niggas to get money," sets him up as half-hustler, half-motivational-speaker. Problem is, he can't quite figure out how to make these two identities mesh throughout the album without contradicting himself. Jeezy boasts about his exploits and calls others out for not being as "real," then apologizes for all the cocaine he's slung and harm he's done, then ends by encouraging his listeners to follow their dreams using whatever means necessary. It's all rather confusing, not helped by the fact the emcee's not exactly known for his quick-witted raps (saying "I adlib here, I adlib there/fuck it, adlibs everywhere" is not the same thing as actually adlibbing), which would at least liven things up a bit. Add this to heavily orchestral beats that rely on synth strings and flat, empty percussion to buoy Jeezy's belabored flow and you've got something that, while it may be "street," is a slow, anti-climactic street, neither fun nor thought-provoking, kind of purposeless, and not very inspirational. More like thug un-motivation.
Marisa Brown writes about music for Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected].
