Some consider
JR Writer to be the lyrical wonder of the
Diplomats crew, and there's plenty of evidence why on
History in the Making, an album overstuffed in the usual
Dipset fashion but ultimately a rewarding effort. Sounding much like his mentor
Cam'ron,
Writer opens the album with the hypnotic and hungry anthem "To Be a Diplomat," a quick run through the man's past with that freestyle freedom he perfected during his mixtape and rap battle past. "Grill Em," "Byrd Call," and "That's a Bet" with
Paul Wall are the club cuts and highlights, keeping the album from sounding like a volume of the man's Writer's Block mixtape series. The "Moments in Love"-sampling bedroom cut "Xtasy" has chart ambition, too, but most of the album is street level and
Dipset chaotic, something best represented by the word-filled wonder "Zoolander." While it may not be worthy of such an ambitious title,
History in the Making brings
Writer from the background to the foreground in the world of
Dipset and gives every reason why he deserves it. [
History in the Making was also made available in a clean version, with all explicit material removed.] ~ David Jeffries