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Album Reviews

Over five years after he made his major-label album debut, and subsequently fell back into the underground, Big Noyd returned to the market with Only the Strong, a commanding return that proves he wasn't sleeping during the long interim. The album follows the standard template for East Coast hardcore rap, bringing together the rapper and his posse (in this case Mobb Deep, who appear together and individually) as well as a host of local producers, most notable among them the Alchemist, who turns in a pair of album standouts, "Shoot 'Em Up (Bang Bang), Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2." Big Noyd spends most of his time on Only the Strong rapping about how he's still on point and gangsta despite having dropped off for a while. His rhetoric is convincing, partly because his delivery is impassioned and partly because his producers back him with confrontational backing tracks that complement his likewise confrontational rhymes. All of this amounts to a high-quality hardcore rap album that serves its purpose well -- to reinstate Big Noyd's presence in the East Coast hardcore arena. Granted, Only the Strong is not without its weaknesses. In particular, about half of the songs lack strong hooks. The beats are usually tight, but the often-chanted hooks sometimes seem like an afterthought -- like they're there because they're supposed to be there, not because they're there for the sake of catchiness. But if you don't mind the lack the hooks outside of the perfectly crafted Alchemist tracks, there's an abundance of great beats and rapping here, making Only the Strong an excellent return for Big Noyd, an excellent hardcore rapper who had been away for far too long. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide