Album Review: Twista- Category F5

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twista-article_phixr1In many eyes, Twista [Click for video interview] is considered to be the forefather of Hip-Hop in Chicago.

Before the Kanye’s, and the Lupe’s—there was an MC from the Chi named [Mr.] Tung Twista, who once held the record of fastest lyricist in the world according to the Guinness Book Of World Records, by being able to pronounce 11.2 syllables per second.

Even though he no longer holds that title, one achievement he can be proud of is the fact that he’s 18 years deep in the game, with seven (solo) studio albums to his credit, including his latest project, Category F5.

Staying true to form, his spitfire flow is once again on full display, along with the assistance of peers like Akon, R. Kelly, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Lil Boosie, Gucci Mane, and OJ Da Juiceman.

After briefly explaining the definition of an F5 tornado (twister), the album gets underway with the eerie sounds of the violin-driven ‘Misunderstood’ (feat. Buk of Psychodrama).

From there, a quick version of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Star Spangled Banner’ guitar adaptation leads off ‘American Gangsta,where Twista rides the beat into the ground.

Some heavy firepower is added onto ‘Yellow Light, as R. Kelly lends his vocals to the sexual-orientated track. ‘Walking On Ice’ featuring Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman is an ode to how much jewelry they’re able to accumulate, with Twista clearly outshining his invited guests.

Twista gives a strong showing on the StreetRunner-produced ‘Hustla, as he goes through the exploits of having such a career, including bumps in the road, such as the current recession.

‘On Top’ featuring Akon is another song geared toward the female species, but this time around, both artists discuss the pleasure they get from the woman being in control.

One snag in the album is the money-themed ‘Billionaire’ featuring Busta Rhymes, and their use of Auto-tune, where the song seems like it could’ve been left on the cutting room floor.

Twista further rips through the CD with F5-type songs like ‘Block Music’ (feat. Liffy Stokes, Skooda Chose, and B-Hype), ‘Clappin,and the iTune bonus song of ‘Alright’ (feat. Kanye West).

In the end, Category F5 is another solid entry from an MC who’s already cemented his legacy.

Although this album might have a lot more songs that cater towards the opposite sex than other pervious efforts, Twista still sounds as sharp as ever, with no signs of dropping off—and maintaining consistency in this industry is always an accomplishment within itself…

Rating: 3.5

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