Yung Joc, like a lot of today's rappers, seems to have put together his new album "Hustlenomics" (Bad Boy South/Atlantic) the way politicians craft their campaign platforms - a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a whole lot of pandering.
Rather than picking a direction, Yung Joc is all over the map, craftily discussing drug sales one minute (the playfully simple first single "Coffee Shop") and proclaiming his love for his mother the next ("Momma"). He's willing to say anything or do anything in order to keep getting paid, which may be sound "hustlenomic" theory, but it also comes off as a bit desperate.
It's too bad, because there is plenty to like on "Hustlenomics." "BYOB" is built on a spare beat, synth-squiggle grooves and a sample of what sounds like someone playing a saw, resulting in a track edgy enough to make it onto M.I.A.'s album. "Brand New" reworks The Stylistics' "You Make Me Feel Brand New" into praise for retail therapy with some help from Rick Ross and Snoop Dogg. And on "Hell Yeah," featuring his Bad Boy boss Diddy, Yung Joc switches up his flow to suit the space-reggae groove.
"Hustlenomics" isn't filler-heavy, but it does have some grating moments, such as the wanna-be Chevrolet commercial "Chevy Smile," and the half-serious tagline at the end of "Coffee Shop" where Joc says, "Hey kids, please don't do drugs." It's about as believable as the whole "If you love yo' momma, clap yo' hands" chorus from "Momma," though maybe that's the real Joc and the whole thuggin' persona is an act. Either way, something isn't right.
So when he closes out the title track saying, " not a campaign for money or attention, this is what I do," the seams of his process show and it all sounds hollow. There's nothing wrong with campaigning for money or attention, man, but fans really do hate feeling hustled. (Grade: B-)