Troy Ave has had me going back and forth for sometime. When I first heard Bricks In My Backpack 2 i was feelin it. Then came Bricks In My Backpack 3 and I was convinced he was next up....Go listen to Super Cool... Then came a string of so so mixtapes White Christmas/ BSB vol's that made me fall back. Fortunately for Dope Boy Troy last summer her dropped New York City The Album and I was hooked again. 

For some reason the self-proclaimed people's champ never can get the people though. He's too much for any other ego in the room. Not that his brash attitude wasn't enough to turn off potential listeners, he got himself into a song jacking controversy with fellow New York MC Manolo Rose. I heard the interviews and the records and Troy does seem to bite not just the hook (with Manolo's voice still on it), he also bites the hottest bars of the track. Now, no-one would have noticed if this didn't become Troy's biggest single to date, because of a remix with industry vets Jeezy and Rick Ross. Last year ended on a sour note for the homie.

Taking a brief hiatus from the spotlight, Troy went back to what he does best. He makes good...sometimes great traditional east coast music. Then last week came his second album, Major Without A Deal. Troy has obviously garnered the respect of the OG's from New York because he has a feature from every one of them on this album. lol.  The album starts off with a bang with two great east coast records back to back. Quarter Million feat. Camron and Im Bout It feat. Fat Joe set the scene for a classic album, then we get knocked back to reality. The problem I have with this album is the same problem I have with Troy Ave as an artist.

Major Without A Deal is Troy Ave. If you are a fan you will find songs that you love and the ones you don't you'll just overlook. If you're a Troy hater you will find plenty of ammunition to fuel your fire.