There's an EP's worth of pure
Diplomats fire on member
Hell Rell's official solo debut,
For the Hell of It. First there's the leadoff single, "Show Off," a simple, hooky effort with exciting street production from the Tracsquad Movement. The bravado-filled "Paperboy," the stately anthem "Streets Gonna Love Me," and the great "Hardest Out" with
Styles P all sound like they fell off a furious
Hell Rell mixtape, and even the cover of the album seems to fit best with the title of 2007 mixtape Eat with Me or Eat a Box of Bullets. All are evidence that mixtapes are where the rapper is most comfortable, but there's also the polished and fun "Deep in Love," which not only suggests
Rell is the wild
Ol' Dirty Bastard of the
Dipset crew but also that he can he rise above the underground circuit and land a cut on BET or urban radio. Problem is, it's the only time the album strives to be more than a fringe
Diplomats release.
Rell's boasting, bragging, and shock tactics sit on a bed of solid yet uninspired production while
Dipset members
Cam'ron,
J.R. Writer, and
Juelz Santana all stop by to make the second half of the album sound like a volume of the crew's
Diplomatic Immunity series. Their appearances are needed and strategically placed, since
Rell's gruff style, limited delivery, and simple rhymes have worn out their welcome by this point. Only the most loyal
Dipset soldier would disagree; everyone else can just check the highlights. [
For the Hell of It was also made available in a clean version, with all explicit material removed.] ~ David Jeffries