Jeezy, Pressure | Album Review 💿

On his eighth studio album ‘Pressure,’ Jeezy keeps rolling out banger after banger. More than a decade into his career, he’s still a ‘G.’

Jeezy, formerly Young Jeezy, has been the same from the start of his career to the present. He’s a gritty, hard-nosed G through and through. Trap or Die 3 marked the first and only major label album by the southern rapper I failed to purchase or review. After skipping Trap or Die 3, atonement for such a miscue arrived by checking out eighth studio album, Pressure.

Keeping things short and sweet, as insinuated above, Jeezy doesn’t change much on Pressure.  The beats and production remain malicious and tough to the nth degree.  Jeezy himself hasn’t softened his devastating rhymes, maintaining his IDGAF flow more than a decade into the game.  For those who have followed the rapper faithfully, they’ll be more than happy to indulge into another album chocked-full of bangers. For newbies, perhaps Jeezy and Pressure represent the ‘old guard’ at this point – look at the crop of new rappers from 2017…

“Cold Summer” & “Bottles Up”

The best songs from Pressure are the two singles, ✓ “Cold Summer” and ✓ “Bottles Up.” “Cold Summer” checks off all boxes for a Jeezy song: dynamic production, unapologetic rhymes, and full-fledged ‘G-status.’ The hook is grimy and punchy. Tee Grizzley guests on the second verse. On the turned-up “Bottles Up,” he’s assisted by ‘hype-man,’ Puff Daddy. He spits over a superb backdrop, including standard, hard-hitting trap percussion, synths, but most surprisingly, piano. Jeezy does his job by serving up biting rhymes to match the excellent production work. His flow remains top-notch.

“American Dream”

Beyond “Cold Summer” & “Bottles Up,” there are a number of solid, well-rounded bangers.  Opener ✓ “Spyder” shines with its signature brassy production work, hearkening back to early Jeezy. On ✓ “Floor Seats,” the fourth selection, he’s assisted by 2 Chainz. As always, he’s profane and ‘all the way up.’ As for 2 Chainz, he’s himself too.  Follow-up “This Is It” keeps things simplistic, declaring itself a hit. Despite simplicity, its hypnotic nature is undeniable.

On title track “Pressure,” Jeezy collaborates with popular, up-and-coming rapper Kodak Black, as well as west coast sensation YG.  This doesn’t trump the elite cuts, but keeps the album consistent. The two-person collaborations continue.  On “Like Them,” he’s joined by a singing Tory Lanez and Rick Ross. “The Life” trades Lanez and Ross for WizKid and Trey Songz.  The best of the bunch is ✓ “American Dream,” bringing J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar into the fold. That’s some serious star power.

Final Thoughts

In reiteration, Jeezy doesn’t change much on Pressure.  That’s great in the sense that he’s true to himself.  His grit is respectable.  It’s a nitpicky con in the sense that he hasn’t tweaked the formula much. While Pressure is sound, it’s not a transcendent album that wows beyond a certain point. It’s sufficient, but to some degree, it would be nice to see the rapper shake things up in some form or fashion.  Nonetheless, there’s no shame in his game.

✓ Gems: “Spyder,” “Cold Summer,” “Floor Seats,” “Bottles Up” & “American Dream”

Jeezy • Pressure • Def Jam • Release: 12.15.17 

Photo Credit: Def Jam