Royce Da 5'9:
M.I.C Make It Count Mixtape

Release Date: 25 October 2004

Reviewed By: Selina Thompson

1. Intro

2. Nickel

3. Jump

4. Buzzin

5. Stand Up - feat, Tre Lil, Cutty Mack, Billy Nix

6. Gone In 30 Sec - feat, Tre Lil, T Dot

7. On The Road

8. Switch - feat, Cutty Mack, Young Rell, June

9. Street Games

10. 52 Bars

11. Basic Rap

12. F**k A Hook

13. Dope - feat, Juan

14. No Talent Rappers - feat, Juan, Cutty Mack

15. Back In The Day's

16. Brothers Keeper - feat, Kid Vicious

Eminem - Encore
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Never one to sit back, Royce Da 5’9 is back with another mixtape to keep the public heated. ‘M.I.C Make It Count’, does exactly as it says, with firing beats and lyrics from Royce and his spitting crew Tre Lil, T-Dot, Cutty Mack, Vicious and Juan.

The 15 track ensemble starts with ‘Buzzin’ – Royce’s tribute to his previous hustles and cemented street credit. Extravagant in its attitude, this cut is designed for constant replay. Much loved lyrical tongue-twisters are delivered on ‘On The Road’ and ‘F*** the Hook’ which are laced with fast flowing beats that further promotes Royce’s talent as a solo artist.

Enjoying the diverse direction that mixtapes bring, the Detroit rapper uses old skool beats to reminisce on ‘Back in the Days’, while ‘52 Bars’ offers the fan base a different spin with hard-hitting drums and distorted violins as Royce runs down the rhymes: ‘Who bury you on the count of three, (four) I'm liable to squeeze (five) I can promise my knowledge degrees has start a lotta beef, (six) the gall of you to cause all of you to pause,(seven) (gasp) at the fall of your momma's cheeks’. Not straying too far from the Royce formula, the rapper enlists producer-mate Nottz to do his creative tip on the joints ‘Nickel’ and ‘Jump’. These are the best solo offerings on the album and will satisfy appetites for his signature bouncy and layered sounds.

On the collabo front, ‘Gone In 30 Seconds’ featuring T. Dot and Tre Lil is probably the best on here, with tight production and a haunting melody. For a smooth, head nodding vibe, check Juan and Cutty Mack’s efforts on ‘No Talent Rappers’ while ‘Brother’s Keeper’ ties neat hooks together for the lyrical inclusion of Royce’s kid brother Vicious.

The only let down for this collective project is the track ‘Switch’ which doesn’t work as well due to the overcrowding of poetic temperaments from Cutty Mack, Young Rell and Juan, forcing Royce into the background.

That said, the featured MCs do provide quality atmosphere to the electric set which has plenty of twists and turns for fans of Royce and mixtapes alike. Certainly worth a listen, ‘M.I.C.’ doesn’t lose the fast paced lyrical aggression that the Detroit rapper is noted for since the early days of his spits with Eminem. Loyal fans may prefer a slab of Royce cuts purely on the solo level, but as his career continues to rise, mixtapes, collaborations and the little bro’ will be part of the hip hop equation.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Top Tracks
4. Buzzin
13. Dope feat. Juan
5. Stand Up feat. Cha Cha, Tre Lil, Cutt Mack, Billy Nix

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