In the come and go world of hip hop each year ushers in its fair share of new faces and names. Off the strength of his super catchy first single “This Is Why I’m Hot” New York bred MIMS is this year’s premier rookie, not premier as in best, but premier meaning first. As history has unfolded we’ve learned that first doesn’t translate to best, most of the time it means absolutely nothing, especially when you finish last. Music Is My Savior will be MIMS deciding factor on whether he’ll live in 2008 like a king or if he’ll be back to his 2006 grind. Judging from the heat his first single is generating in the streets MIMS should be a hot topic throughout the summer at least.

Crooner J. Holiday lays down a soulful hook over Twizz and D. Baker’s breezy backdrop on the braggadocios “Girlfriend’s Fav MC”. MIMS lyrical complexity can be severly questioned on the opening “It’s Alright” and the first single “This Is Why I’m Hot” but those questions will be relinquished after one listen to the humbling “Where I Belong”. On the underwhelming “Cop It” MIMS borrows a few too many one liners from a few of the big dogs over at Def Jam. Twizz and D. Baker show up again to helm another standout track in the bassy “Big Black Train”. MIMS’ in house production team The Blackout Movement shows an undying love for southern inspired beats with the Bun B assisted and very overshadowed “They Don’t Wanna Play”. The album’s high point as well as MIMS’ premier lyrical deliverance comes on the Vault Productions helmed “Just Like That”. MIMS saves his only introspective work for last on his most down to earth selection “Don’t Cry”.

Throughout his self titled debut album MIMS shows a few glimpses of KONY potential, but those glimpses are few and far between throughout the collection. MIMS main hindrance is his overly conceited swag for the most part. Aside from that he comes off sounding and acting like Jay Z way too much. If MIMS can learn from some of the mistakes from he made this time out then he can and surely will be a mainstay in the rap game, but if he doesn’t then he’s hot this year and next year he’s not!

VERDICT – 10 / 20
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 2
DELIVERY: 3
CONSISTENCY: 2