Jadakiss, I Love You (A Dedication to My Fans)

Though Jadakiss hasn’t released a full-length album since The Last Kiss in the summer of 2009, he returned this week with a new (retail) mixtape to show love to his fans and thank them for holding him down during his decade-plus career.

On I Love You (A Dedication to My Fans), the Yonkers emcee’s potent delivery is generally at home over a variety of sonic backdrops. The feel good “Lil Bruh” featuring Pharrell is an upbeat and refreshing take on giving advice to young’ns. Later, the street savvy “Lay Em Down,” features yet another outstanding Jada-Styles P back and forth—a treat for rap fans every time it goes down.

On the flip side, there are some misses. The somber “In The Streets” is a bit cliché in its content and structure and epitomizes the drawback of Kiss’s decision to use R&B hooks on nearly every track on the project. In the end, though, I Love You (A Dedication to My Fans) reminds why Kiss has been able to enjoy such longevity in the game. —Adam Fleischer