HiphopRnbSoul.com

After listening to the first few songs of I'm Still Livin, one question comes up... "What the hell happened to Z-Ro?" Thankfully, this reaction is due only to the fact that some of the set's weaker moments come early in the game.

hiphoprnbsoul rating:

Download this album N/A

The Houston vet continues to flow candidly about life on the streets from a realistic, poetic point of view (as he expertly does on "City Streets"), but unfortunately filler tracks like "Continue 2 Roll" "One Deep" sound like something thrown together in the back of the caddy on the way to prison (where he'll be living until next year).

Things warm up a one-third of the way in as Bun B brings in the sweet taste of gutter air with "Remember Me" which flows smoothly into the funky "Keep On" and the frenetic delivery of "What's Going On?." Despite woefully pedestrian production throughout, not to mention cheesy samples of (admirable) 80s artists such as Pat Benatar and Spandau Ballet, Z-Ro still manages to keep his head up on the tight title track, as well as "Man Cry," a revealing, brutally honest track exposing his thumping thug heart, and the candid, emotional "No More Pain" reminding fans why this emcee has long been compared to the late Tupac Shakur.

Since the majority of material on this release was written the last time Z-Ro was incarcerated, we can definitely look forward to the next album he's more than likely writing right now. Hopefully that future release will feature tracks and production that can roll with the intensity and passion the man puts in his lyrics.

Download:  “Keep On” “Man Cry” “I'm Still Livin'” 

  To purchase CDs, click on the cover art or title link. To legally download, click on the iTunes logo. If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here by clicking the "download iTunes" logo above.