When it comes to official albums,
Drama has been proving that mixtape DJs can do them too, kicking off his high-profile releases with the stellar
Gangsta Grillz: The Album (2007) and then falling to Earth with the simply good
Vol. 2 (2009). This third swing falls between the two previous releases, coming alive on singles like the opening “Oh My,” a Drumma Boy production with
Fabolous,
Wiz Khalifa, and
Roscoe Dash on the mike, and the great “Never See You Again,” a vibrant Dawty Music production where
Talia Coles and
Wale both shine bright. Young Jeezy and
Freddie Gibbs bring the gutsiest of the gutsy street tracks as “Rough” rumbles the speakers, and a big surprise comes when newcomer Future combines the
Drake and
Odd Future styles for the hallucinatory and hooky “Ain’t No Way Around It.” That’s a lot of heat, and with the second line standing strong with names like
B.o.B,
Akon, and
Freeway,
Third Power puts
Drama’s releases back in the general vicinity of “very necessary.” ~ David Jeffries