The Lox have been around on wax for almost ten years, from the days as the Warlocks to their days with Biggie and Puffy and back to the streets with the Ruff Ryders camp. Now after the solo releases of fellow members Jadakiss and Styles, Sheek Louch recently put out the battle tested Walk Witt Me, an album that is the best solo release for the camp and the first on the D-Block label through Universal.

Sheek doesn’t play with the crossover appeal going for gritty smack talking, verbal gunplay and retrospective stories. The once believed weak link in the Lox, Sheek lets you know that he is a true player in this rap game not only one to blaze the streets with the mixtape as he did along with J-Hood for the last two years but one that can also put a album together with everything the streets asked for. If you didn’t get the picture already, the album is hot!

The album starts out with a song for the haters and doubters called “For You”. The eerie track produced by Liveson lets Sheek get off on those crazy flows where he goes from you not believing it could be him to you assuming before really know what going on. It fades off just as your really getting into it and leads you to the party track and single “Ok” where Louch lets you know what you should be doing when out on the streets and at the club “I don’t know what you thinking but a party isn’t a party unless you drinking”. The Cocoa Chanelle track is lively with women in the background saying “ok, ok” and it lets you know D-Block is trying to have a good time just not with hater around staring instead of having fun.

“Turn It Up” lets you know about D-Block and how hungry Sheek is especially coupled with an Alchemist beat. Word play has always been of Louch’s strong suit and punchlines come ready to serve.

“How Many Guns” takes you back to the hood and back to the life games some play on the street to survive. Sheek lets you know what it is about from the beginning “Yeah, I know how to do this daddy, I done made more trips south than Luda’s caddie. I done been off the block, bust off the glock and dealt wit more beef that a f---in patty!” The beat by Vinny Idol and Supa Mario, familiar to all you mixtape heads, is violin mixed with big bass thump. Different and the yet same feel you have come to expect from D-Block.

“In/Out” featuring Styles P gives you the reason why Sheek and cousin Pinero are two of the hardest in the rap game Sheek boasts “I’m not Jerome Bettis but when I hit you its going to feel like a bus!” Styles proclaims: “and I can make the best die, cut you neck open, pull your tongue through, that’s a f---in’ neck tie.”

The cut “I Ain’t Forget” is one of the calmer and more serious tracks on the album; in it Sheek takes you back to the beginning of the Lox and their times with Bad Boy and Puffy to the present and the beginning of the D-Block label. It great cause people seem to forget but a lot of rappers want to be and sound like the Lox. This is one of the albums best contributions.

Another great track that show Louch’s versatility is “Walk Witt Me”, the title track. In it Sheek ask about why things are and how they could be. He wishes for places where people don’t have to sell to survive and women don’t have to trick to support their kids. He asks we most have to get drunk to feel good. Why there is struggle? This song shows the side Sheek rarely gives when talking about the hood and people. That is what makes it great. Inside a tough man is a reflective man.

“Crazzy” borrows the line from the “Dolly My Baby” remix: “Blang! Blang! Who’s that wit Super Cat!” and takes it to another level. The beat done by Mr., Devine is up-tempo and feature a nice piano riding the beat. This is a definite car banger but also one that could hold it down in the club. Sheek throughout the album shows his versatility and lets you know he has the style and chorus writing skills to be a crooner or party rhymer but why when he could kill the beat and make to think or at least say damn dude is boiling!

“Ten Hut” brings Jadakiss on the military style track with horns and drums blasting. Two out of three isn’t bad and Louch and ‘Kiss give it to you the best way they know how by letting you know what they have for you if you come and test them.

“How I Love You” is a sentimental cut where Sheek takes a hook and the piano and let you know how he feels about the game of Hip Hop like it was a women. Through the ups and downs and being on top of the game to just trying to get in the spotlight again. Styles P helps with the chorus and lets you know the affection for the rap game: “You all I got, all I want, all I need”!

In “3-5-4 (Tarrentino)” Louch sits you down and tell a story about his crew and some out of town cats who pull up in unexpectedly. In the same cloth as mentor Big’s Story To Tell, Sheek lets you see a concept together, breaks it apart and puts it right back together in front of the microphone.

“Don’t Mean Nothin” is brings Styles P, J-Hood and ‘Kiss back on the scene and they kill the beat doing the natural letting you know where you stand especially if it comes to blows or insults. Hood lets loose, saying things that would make any parent afraid for their closest family member. I can’t decently repeat it even for a quote!

“D-Block” is another banger with J-Hood back for more carnage and D-Block being shouted for the Chorus. The beat done by The Twinz sounds like a Dr. Dre type but Dre hasn’t heard this type of verbal slaughter!

That track leads right into the Green Lantern mixtape smash “Mighty D-Block” (Everywhere we go, People wanna know!) featuring the D-Block team once again. You hear the soldiers’ march and the dark horror movie background. Its like Dracula and Boot Camp are bonded and D-Block makes sure your not coming out till your impressed with the skill of the team. Every verse is crazy especially Kiss and Sheek and it’s a great way to end the album. The song will make you want to play it again. The chorus is catchy and you’ll be singing after the song.

Overall the album is smoking! You can play it from beginning to end and won’t get bored with repetitive types of beats or what he’s talking about. The collaborations are timely and they come in and kill it. Sheek doesn’t need guests he proves he can hold it on his own. It’s just nice that he doesn’t need to.

The team when fully assembled is the best in the game at talking and being tough. Only M.O.P. and the Infamous are close. G-Unit has a way to go to give you the diversity that D-Block and Sheek Louch gives you. Louch sticks to the script that made him one of the hottest rappers in the underground circuit, hard beats, witty punch lines and creative choruses.

The fact that he doesn’t lean towards outsiders for help on the project shows even more skills. The D-Block camp is well on its way with this one. The party tracks are enough to get the fellas hype and the ladies have a good time without being sappy and drawn.

Then he shows you he thinks outside the box with songs like the title track and I Ain’t Forget. The skits (like “the pizza man”) are really funny as well and give the album a nice break from the action. The Lox in general, have always been good at this, making the album an experience instead 15 singles put together. There is a crazy flow to this album that won’t let you skip a track. The songs aren’t too drawn out with just enough beat to destroy. It is a definite keeper!


I’ll give it 4 and 1/2 globes but if there were 4.75 it would be! Some rappers will never be conscious like KRS-One and that is cool cause all experiences are life but Sheek gives you a truthful picture of him good and bad and lets you judge. When you consider it’s the first production on the D-Block label and 95 percent of the tracks are done by in house talent (Liveson, Supa Mario, and Vinny Idol) you’ll be very impressed. It’s a great cop and will hold you down for the fall season!