Brooklyn, N.Y., host Billy Danze has dropped his highly anticipated sophomore show. Best known for being 1/2 of MOP with Lil’ Fame, he released a 6 Pack in 2019, followed by his full-length solo debut album The Listening Session, produced entirely by TooBusy, and his second extended play Top 5. All of them were moderately well-received, but each had songs that I appreciated. He’s been teasing “The Answer” for a few years now, and it’s finally fresh off a few singles.
After the intro, the soulful title track starts talking about showing everyone how to move while grabbing the Ws, while Jadakiss’ “Got Time” finds the two teaming up to explain that they’re ready to give us what we need. “Brooklyn Confidential” adopts a luxurious trap vibe and instrumentally expresses what Gang Starr calls “The Planet,” while B-Real’s “Let It Be” showcases the pair’s OG status.
Ghostface Killah’s Gotham 2 is an ode to all the true believers in their hometown, while Busta Rhymes’s The Beginning is about how nothing has changed except their vision. “Blessings and Prayers” ends the first half by explaining that things get easier if people believe in themselves, while “What If” starring Robo Conway enthusiastically gets the pair talking about personal family members they themselves clearly cherish.
Pharoahe Monch and Styles P both appear on the gospel-influenced “For You,” enthusiastically boasting that you won’t find a better ballad than theirs, while “Hope” features Evidence, lovingly refuting the myth that “hip-hop is dead,” which simply isn’t the case. I appreciated the concept of “Maverick” featuring Inspectah Deck because they talked about how they both showed independent thought and action, while “The Fix” let it be known that he’s had enough of the same old crap.
“In Case You Forgot” reunites the MOP and closes out The Answer’s final moments, answering all the fools who thought they broke up and confirming that they’re still friends to this day and that’s never going to change, but once Redman’s “Win or Lose” talks about putting in the work until the wheels fall off, “No Losses” ends the record by making them realize that even when love begins
Fizzy Womack’s long-awaited solo debut Walk of Fame is said to be nearing completion after being teased in 2018, so I totally understand why Billy Danze is back with TooBusy on The Answer in preparation for it, and hopefully a MOP album entirely produced by DJ Premier, as he produced Light-Years with Nas last winter. The guests felt that Billy was incomparable, and most importantly, I thought the production was an improvement over its predecessor.
Score: 8/10
