Poison Pen: The Money Shot

Poison Pen: The Money Shot Brooklyn rapper, Poison Pen has been making his name in hip hop for years, by associating with rappers like C-Rayz Walz and Immortal Technique, without ever releasing an album of his own. The Money Shot is Poison Pens debut album and he uses those connections he's made to make it a star-studded event with guest appearances from Immortal Technique, M.O.P., Block McCloud, and Silk The Shocker among others. But the album's real story is Poison Pen himself; the rapper's insouciant flow makes him as playful Rhymefest but as skilled as Biggie. On the album's lead single, "Bk's Fat Boy", Poison Pen takes aim at his critics while keeping a light-hearted feel. The beat is reminiscent of UGK's "International Players Anthem" with its choppy r&b sample, but instead of being about love Poison Pen rhymes about everything from Bed Stuy to haters who don't dance in the clubs. Despite his good qualities there are a couple things that Poison Pen could improve. His choruses are generally lackluster at best; "Finished!" features a chorus of Poison Pen saying in an annoying voice "I'm nice/I'm nice/Bartender set me up right/One more/One more/Spilled the last one on the floor". "My Dude" features a chorus that is just "Bed Stuy my Dude" over and over again. Ultimately, Poison Pen proves himself again and again more than formidable on the mic but he could use some refining on the songwriting. He rarely fails to impress with his verses but not enough songs are immediately ear-catching and that's a problem on a 16-track LP. Rating: 5.9/10 MP3: Poison Pen feat Immortal Technique "The 2nd Ammendment" Buy: iTunes