Troy Ave, ‘BSB Vol. 3′ – Mixtape Review

Troy Ave and his Brick Star Boyz are back with a brand new project, 'BSB Vol. 3,' which packages some new tracks and freestyles from the crew.

Hosted by DJ Holiday, the mixtape carries appearances from Harry Fraud, Wyclef, Bootleg Kev and more as Troy turns back the clock with his classic New York style and swag.

The project starts off with the track 'I Know Why You Mad,' which sounds similar to a beat 50 Cent would have hopped on in the prime of his career. “You seein’ my whips, you seein’ my bitch, get off my d---,” Troy raps.

Scram Jones helps raise the tempo a bit after producing the track 'Hot Out,' which samples Jay-Z’s 'Sunshine,' capturing that hot summer vibe. Troy Ave spits about “the barbeque on the block, too dark for beaches, my smooth features, Sunkist, orange s---.”

Troy mixes in some freestyles on the mixtape like ‘No New Friends,’ ‘No Half Steppin’,’ and ‘When I Feel Like It.’ Some of the freestyles feel a little forced especially ‘Tapout,’ ‘Bad’ and ‘Lotus Powder Bomb,' where he sings (or at least tries to): “You livin' in a fantasy, bitch don’t make no plans for me, that bitch is crazy.”

His strength really shows on tracks such as ‘Wu Tang,’ ‘Broner Malignaggi’ and ‘Man in the Mirror.' He feels comfortable in his drug-rap style and storytelling on these songs.

This project is reminiscent of Juelz Santana’s 'Back Like Cooked Crack' series and is a good prelude to Troy's anticipated album, ‘New York City.’

Overall, its hard not to wonder the impact Troy Ave may have had if he would have came out in the mid 2000s. 'BSB Vol. 3' is made for an audience who still enjoys songs centered on drug raps. Tracks such as ‘Hot Out’ have a chance to make an impact for the rest of this summer.

Rating:

Listen to Troy Ave's 'BSB Volume 3' Mixtape