No matter how successful or how much of a brick Twisted Black’s latest album turns out to be chances are he won’t relish or despise the outcome much. Shortly after dawning a distribution deal with TVT Records Black was hit with a 30 year sentence stemming from drug trafficking charges. Black’s mainstream debut is one of the most enticing releases of the first quarter due to his obvious real life testaments. Already a legend in Texas, Black had an obvious desire to be known in music throughout the streets of America before he met his fate. Now his only remaining fate will be weighed out on a scale between prison yard notoriety and industry notoriety!

TVT labelmates Chyna White and Yo Gotti lend abrasive assistance on the album’s opening credit “Throw It Up”. After a couple of disappointing club attempts in “Shake” and “Wat Y’all Wanna Do” Black rebounds by sticking to his deep rooted street credentials with “S.W.A.C.” Twisted Black proceeds to talk cash shit all over the Daryl Ray Law & Nick Magallanes helmed “How You Feel About That”. Tim Hunt’s harmonizing backdrop on “Broke Street” sets the perfect mood for Black and company to let loose a few of their financial aspirations on one of the album’s premier offerings.

Black goes off into a dark story telling opus on the scandalous tale telling effort “Coldest Summer Ever”. His intricate details and real life imagery makes this another on of the album’s high points. On “New Boot” Black adds a twist to his story telling capabilities while rapping in the form of a letter penned from behind bars to his son. Throughout the story his son responds in a letter explaining how much the two had in common which essentially leads to the unrepeatable twist ending. “Hustler’s Prayer” features Black spitting in favor of his comrades stuck in the game on yet another ballad penned from behind bars. DJ Toomp delivers a beat unlike any other he has ever done with the very average sounding “I’m A Fool With It”. TB nearly chronicles his early childhood years in that two family flat in Detroit on the autobiographic “The Jungle”. Black saves the strip club flavored “Touch Toes” for the final round of the album.

Twisted Black ultimately puts together a piece of work that should definitely leave a semi lasting memory of a career that could’ve been. Maybe there’s still a small chance that he could get released soon and this will all help his once thriving movement continue forward. Anyhow the albums main weakness is its small lack of consistency. Some of the early tracks were not in sync with the rest of the album leaving a red smudge in the overall picture. Production and lyrically wise Twisted Black came with his own dimension on this almost posthumous release. Due to circumstances Twisted Black even with his lyrical wizardry is ultimately a cold case of when keeping it real goes wrong!  

VERDICT – 13 / 20
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 4
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 3