Words by Francesca Djerejian Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0
It was a year ago and some change when J.R. Writer dropped his first mixtape, Writer's Block, showing great promise as the Diplomats crews' newest blood. Back in those golden rookie days, songs like "Cake Off" displayed a hunger and cockiness that made the young Dominican a worthy recruit in the eyes of many a Dipset fan. One "Bird Call," two highly anticipated mixtape sequels, and several Diplomats appearances later, J.R. has presented his solo debut, History In The Making -- an important milestone for the entire Dipset after the disappointment that was Killa Season (movie and album). Apparently, Cam'ron is banking on first infantrymen, J.R. Writer and Hell Rell, to supply some powerful music to the streets and keep the Dipset movement moving. But is J.R. up to the task?
Writer certainly reps the Set with heart, providing enough references to the Harlem crew's greatness to put the groupies to shame. He opens the album with "To Be A Diplomat," an engaging tale of his rise through the Dipset ranks, describing heart-to-hearts with Zeke about the frustration of waiting in the sidelines, the hard work of taking on the vets to impress the Dips, and Cam coming through on his word and finally letting JR have his shine. Fast forward to "Put You On," where JR capitalizes on the fanfare of Nova's beat to introduce his own protégé, Fred Money.
While Writer's flow lacks the effortless swagger that his mentor Cam has mastered, he is undeniably a talented lyricist, with punchlines for days. On the Dame Grease-produced "Zoolander," JR makes up for the monotony of his rapid-fire delivery with respectable wordplay: "I keep the addicts in attics while I traffic the order / I done packaged the package then got it back through the border / You need practice with package your stacks are stacking up shorter / Crackheads say I give em flashbacks of Rich Porter."
No amount of diplomatic immunity can excuse some of the sub-par material on the album. At a mind-boggling 19 tracks long, you wonder what JR was thinking when he included the weed appreciation cut "High Music," with an elementary beat and worn-out flow that could put piff providers out of business. S.A.S.'s lethargic chants and played out lyrics on "Why Try" set new records of skip button urgency, and JR doesn't help the situation with throwaway lines like "Give it up for the Dips, cause it seems so simple/ Yet I'm so sick like a Ne-Yo single."
Another infraction is that much of the best material off the album consists of recycled tracks from the Writer's Block 3 mixtape. That said, some of these repeat tracks are heaters -- including underdog anthem "Grill Em," the Hell Rell-assisted ryder cut "The Movement Is Moving," and the triumphant Dip cadence of "Take Notes." As for the rest of the noteworthy songs, few are without their flaws. JR rides the sweeping, symphonic beat of "Riot Pump" with bumrush energy, but gets carelessly redundant with the wordplay: "Listen dog, I'm a vet, show the boss some respect / If you glitterin' n----, then its off with your neck / I'm a boss on the Set..."
The "ride till the wheels fall off" excitement of "Goonies" owes much to Knoxville's frenzied arrangement of condensed string synths, with killer verses by Jimmy "One Eyed Willie" Jones and a particularly unruly Hell Rell leaving JR in the dust.
History In The Making will either feed the claims of Dipset non-believers who dismiss JR as a watered-down Cam clone, or leave fans nostalgic for the Dominican prince's original battle rap prowess. If JR Writer wants his name to go down in the annals of rap history, he will have to take some notes of his own.
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