Really, the only time I get excited with the drop of a mixtape is when Mick Boogie's name is attached. Not so long ago he helped launched the buzz on Lupe, he's honored the return of Hov, and pieced together one of my favorite would-be releases by way of AZ and Nasir Jones. On top of that, a couple weeks ago to help celebrate the re-lanuch of www.mickboogie.com, he, Little Brother, and the rest of the Justus League Crew dropped ...And Justus For All via a FREE online download.
Being a JL posse cut and common to all mixtapes, ...And Justus For All comes packed with a ridiculous amount of collabs and features Skillz, Rhymefest, Bishop Lamont, Joe Scudda, Mos Def, Talib, AZ, Cormega, and Kardinal Offishall all show up to lend bars. The production helms are also shared among a wide ranged cast. Depending on who you are, you'll love/hate the fact that Babu, Nottz, RJD2, Young Cee, Khrysis, Focus, The Kickdrums, J. Cardim (and Phonte), and Midi Mafia show up behind the boards in addition to 9th Wonder (who has two tracks of his own).
What surprised me about this piece is that Little Brother still sounds like Little Brother. Not to take anything at all from their former running mate, but if I was told that 9th manned the boards for this latest effort, it wouldn't be that hard to believe. It still has that unified mellow feel LB is known for, which is crazy considering how many different producers contributed. Justus party member Khrysis really impressed me with how well his sound compliments Phonte and Pooh - especially on "Back At It" along side Cory. I may just be biased to all things Mega, but this track is all kinds of dopeness.
Rare to mixtapes however, ...And Justus For All was put together with a little bit of focus and intention. With all of the controversy swarming the trio-turned-duet, and with the aid of Mick, Phonte and Big Pooh attempt to prove that they are real deal emcees and can survive without the iconic throwback sounds of the mighty 9th Wonder. The interludes where the two are just sitting around talking do a lot in way of this purpose. You really get a picture of how smart and damn hilarious these cats are. To be blunt, why so many people don't think a post-9th Wonder Little Brother is worth a damn is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, 9th is stupid ill and deserves all the love he gets, but Pooh and especially Phonte are the absolute truth when it comes to mic controlling.
In the end, ...And Justus For All is still just a mixtape so track to track it tends to be scattered, lacking a cohesive spirit. But fuck all that. This is legally FREE, what hell else could you want? Of course we'll all miss 9th when the full LP, The Getback drops later in the year, but Phonte and Pooh are dope as fuck, so in the end, Little Brother is still dope as fuck.
