Young Gunz

This is the second effort from the Young Gunz and thanks to the new Roc-A-Fella production prodigy Chad "Wes” Hamilton, Brothers from Another is a high-energy, creative success. Wes handles the majority of the production and his style incorporates sharp snapping percussion, break beat arrangements and new ideas. Young Chris and Neef sound confident flowing back and forth, filling in each other’s lyrics and smoothly operating as well-oiled rap tag team. There is a Run-DMC theme running through this album from the cover art to Wes’s vintage sound and the duo’s two-in-one cadence. They run with it and the style works like clockwork on "We Still Here,” "The Knock is There,” and "YG Party.” On the flipside, they wisely take some risks with a completely new sound on "Same Shit Different Day.” This spacey track produced by Wes has the Gunnaz running down their inventory of gear, game, and how they pound the streets alongside a fat sparse bass line and vibrating chopped up scales to become one of the album’s best needs to be bumped in the whip. Kanye West and John Legend lace the Young Gunz on "Grown Man Pt.2,” with different perspectives complementing each other over Kanye West’s latest display of a distinct track that is lush but not too lush. As a whole, Brothers from Another is a solid sophomore album where styles vary just enough to make it simultaneously fresh and tight.