Fort Myers, Florida native Plies has quickly ascended to major hip-hop heights in such a short period of time. Plies’ 2007 debut The Real Testament easily scanned 500,000 plus sold as did his sophomore effort The Definition Of Real. If you haven’t noticed the pattern here Plies loves to keep it real and with his third disc in less than two years he plans to do just that and some. Da REAList marks only a six-month break from the Florida rapper since his last release; a feat that hasn’t been seen in rap since DMX dropped two albums ten years ago.

For anybody who thinks Plies is only about making wanna-be hood chick flicks, the album’s first offering “Me And My Goons” puts a quick and persuasive street perspective on things. Unfortunately the album’s luster wears off by the second joint, “Fuck You Gon’ Do Bout It” where Plies resorts back to his often broken and annoying flow. On the BC produced “Gotta Be” Plies sends a hood-felt co-sign to the celebration that somebody in the trap will be doing as they managed to escape their most recent run in with the laws. Former, or current Murder Inc mistress Ashanti sheds her lovely vocals over JR Rotem’s clever reworking of Deele’s Two Occasions” for the newer “Want It, Need It.”

Though “Plenty Money” turns out to be about Plies’ supposed mounds of cash he still manages to show his ass with the very overused subject matter. Plies paints a damn near horrific picture of his in house situation on the much humbling “Family Straight.”On the DVS engineered “Heard Of Me” Plies lays down a stark but tue reality when he spits, “to be the best rapper / you gotta tell lies / so I couldn’t get that / cuz I don’t fantasize.” If anyone questions whether or not Plies will ever switch to a more commercial sound one listen to “All Black” will quickly dead all those thoughts. On the simple track Plies gets Halloween sick on some gruesome street shit. He continues his street topics with the Mannie Fresh engineered “Pants Hang Low” as well as the proactive anti-snitchin effort “Co-Defendant”

Da REAList stays in strict format with Plies’ previous two albums. He manages to work his winning formula for the third consecutive time as he continues to infuse a wealth of sounds for the ladies with those of the goons he’s accustomed to pleasing. Obviously Plies knows the value of staying in the eye of the public with his new “album every six months” ad campaign. Lets just hope that he doesn’t burn us out with too much redundancy. Then again if he continues to keep it real then real will continue to recognize real!

VERDICT – 15 / 20
LYRICS: 3
PRODUCTION: 4
DELIVERY: 4
CONSISTENCY: 4