Abstract Rude, veteran of the L.A. scene and member of such groups as Abstract Tribe, The A-Team, and Haiku D’etat, come at us with his first solo album in about five years, and his first for Rhymesayers. The album features production by Vitamin D, whose slow, laid back grooves seem like a good fit for the low smooth delivery of Ab’s voice. My complaint about this album would be that there lacks any sort of home run tracks. Most of the album is solid B material - pretty good rhymes, pretty good production, just not a lot that knocks you over and sticks with you long after the album is over. Probably the best track would be “Thynk Eye Can,” which features great verses by Aceyalone and Mykah 9, a great groove from Vitamin D, and lyrical content that I’m sure will be taught in classrooms years from now when we’re looking at the change in cultural landscape since Obama took office. Unfortunately, that song is followed up by the weakest track on the album, “TV Show.” I think as a general rule, rhyming about television doesn’t make for a compelling song. Outside of these two songs, the album falls under the “good, but not great” category. I enjoy the album when its on, but there aren’t many hooks or lines or beats that I can’t wait to get to, or that stay with me all day. Knowing what a talent that Abstract Rude is, this album becomes just a little bit frustrating. On a separate note, I should note that this album features some killer packaging that features a slide out paper case that unfolds like a box of candy or something. As a collector, I really appreciate the effort. For my complaints though, this album is still better than most, and I have faith that we’ll see better from both Ab and Vitamin D in the near future.