Collegiate Times

April has come, and it marks the end of the first quarter, and what a paltry three months it's been for the music industry. You can't blame this kind of slump on file sharing. However, with summer just around the corner it looks like things should start picking up.

Speaking of slumps, G-Unit anyone? No less than three years ago G-Unit was a product that everyone wanted. They had hit albums, a popular clothing line and the world's most expensive pair of white nursing shoes. However, three years in the pop culture spotlight is an eternity, and unfortunately for both us and the artists, music runs on fads with the same intensity as the dieting industry: here today, gone tomorrow.

For G-Unit it's been the quality of the product that has everyone disappointed; cheap and cheesy, bottom line. Lloyd Banks recently flopped. Tony Yayo flopped with him. It's even been a few years since the ring leader, 50 Cent, put out quality work as well, and that includes his acting. So now it's Young Buck's turn to try and right the ship.

Young Buck's debut album, "Straight out of Cashville," was a major success. It sold well, it played well. It also featured one of the greatest music videos of all time, "Shorty Wanna Ride" (an homage to Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers). Even those who hate G-Unit will still tell you that Young Buck is all right in spite of his entourage.

"Buck the World" was just released last Tuesday, March 27. It's an album that many people, including myself, felt apprehensive to grab given the recent trend among the G-Unit artists. However, after only a few minutes in, it was clear that Young Buck wasn't going to walk the plank like the others.

"Get Buck" is the first single, and while it's not the best work off the album, it is still a significant example of what to expect on the rest of the album. Of the 17 tracks, "Say it to My Face" and "Buck the World" are solid songs. They have vigor and personality. However, and much to my surprise, it's "Puff, Puff, Pass" featuring Ky-Mani Marley that steals the show. There's a little filler here and there but for the most part, from beginning to end, everything remains solidly consistent.

After listening to "Buck the World," it's painfully clear that methodically, melodically and lyrically, Young Buck is in a league of his own compared to his friends. While Lloyd Banks, Yayo, and even 50 are mumbling and stumbling over their own words, Young Buck delivers his trade with punch and precision. His rapping style is crisp, clear and clean (not that kind of clean). Young Buck also appears to take more pride in the production value of his work as well.

This isn't a Dr. Dre only production, as it includes work from Jazze Pha and Lil' Jon among others. As a result, the melody and beat for the vast majority of his songs abandon that overplayed and overused style that we've clubbed over the head with in previous albums from Eminem, 50 Cent and company. It's more polished and certainly more original.

The one major surprise in "Buck the World" is that unlike his G-Unit teammates, Young Buck actually has some friends. Young Jeezy and the "Yeeeaaaahs" are featured not once but twice. Other featured artists on "Buck the World" include Snoop, Trick Daddy, Eminem, Bun B and TI. As usual, 50 manages to shark two appearances on the album, and in true 50 selfish nature, airs out his beef with Cam'ron (save it for your own album, buddy).

"Buck the World" demonstrates that Young Buck is the real breadwinner in G-Unit. The rest of G-Unit are all C list artists who belong booking gigs at sweet sixteen parties. Say what you may about 50, but his tracks have that "Nickelback" repetitive nature. It's boring, and he's boring. Young Buck on the other hand, has character. There's an anger and an energy to Young Buck that we don't get all that often in hip hop anymore. It's not quite Tupac, but it's not that far off. Young Buck is even sporting the "I'm not wearing a shirt on my album cover" look, a Tupac staple. The reward for his efforts is that he's going to be the one artist from G-Unit who has an actual career in five years. He understands that originality and hard work go a long way. A surprisingly good album from a surprisingly good artist.