Despite a three-year absence and diminished membership,
Crime Mob returned fairly unchanged on their second album,
Hated on Mostly. Their crunk style of rap remains chiefly indebted to
Three 6 Mafia and is highlighted by some potent productions, most of them credited to group member
Lil Jay. "Rock Yo Hips" is the clear-cut single, tailor-made for club play and boasting a
Lil Scrappy feature. "Circles" is the other standout, mostly because it's a change of pace -- relatively downtempo and sullen, built around an old soul sample ("Going in Circle" by
the Friends of Distinction). There are a few other strong songs here, such as the title track and "2nd Look," both of which are rabble-rousing, if overly typical. What makes
Crime Mob atypical, above all, is the group's pair of female rappers, Diamond and Princess. These young ladies are not only skilled rappers, but they're charismatic and good-looking. They distinguish
Crime Mob from the group's innumerable, almost exclusively male contemporaries. Beyond the potent productions, handful of standout songs, and pair of female rappers,
Hated on Mostly frankly isn't all that interesting. It's a more mature and commercial album than the group's self-titled 2004 debut, certainly, but it still leaves plenty of room for growth. ~ Jason Birchmeier