If a person can say anything about Kay Slay it is that he has mastered 2 of the primary elements of Hip-Hop. Kay started off as the very well known Graffitti writer (Dez) back in the late 70”s and early 80’s. He appeared in movies about the art and was known as one of the best to ever pick up a Krylon can. Kay also went through a viscous cycle during his days as an addict who pursued the rush of Dust mixed with Crack. Through it all Hip-Hop was in his blood. And finally after smashing the mixtape scene for a few years Kay has released his debut solo effort on Columbia records entitled The Streetsweeper. The title is well known, for it has preceded many of his mixtape sessions along with the famous (Kay Slay a.k.a. Slap ya favorite DJ) phrase which he frequently uses. The compilation debut is follows the winning formula that got Kay where he his today. It reads like a who’s who of artists in the industry. The problem with the disc is that if you’ve been listening to Kay Slay mixtapes you’re probably expecting a much stronger arsenal of songs. The album fails at a few points but does have it’s shining moments with joints like “Seven Deadly Sins” which features, Angie Martinez, Vita, Duchess, Lady May, Amil Sonja Blade and Remy Martin. The mami’s definitely do their thing on this one and shine impeccably.

Some hot tracks that have been on previous mixtapes like “Purple Haze” by the Diplomats featuring Cam’ron and “50 Shot Ya” still have a good buzz. “I Got U,” which showcases the Ghost himself, Styles P, is a definitive banger. Bristal also offers a healthy dose of lyricism on this one. One of the biggest highlights of the disc is on the Scarface, Raekwon and Fat Joe blazed “I Never Liked Ya.” This one shows that Rae still has an impeccable flow and sets us up for his future release. Keep your ears open for the GOD cause he’s coming back. The title track “The Streetsweeper” featuring the LOX speaks for itself. Hot track and hot notes equal… the LOX…WHAT!

Although the disc lacks in the production department on some of the tracks, there is still more than a couple of joints to ride to on the disc. Most of you young’uns under 30 should cop the disc just on GP because Kay has been repping this cultural movement called Hip-Hop for more than 25 years. Salute.