The Recession

by Jeezy

Overview

Dropping the sequential album titles for his third release, Young Jeezy's The Recession introduces itself as anything but Thug Motivation 103. The opening title track features a collage of some very 2008 news reports where America is going broke while the "they just don't care about us" feeling sweeps the nation. Then Jeezy enters trading his non-stop swagger for social commentary, and while the singalong thug chorus is as strong as ever, the rapper's transformation from cocaine-slinging king to voice of the people is unconvincing, especially when he mentions his personal driver and how his "make it rain" sessions at the strip club are getting more conservative. The Barack Obama shout-out that closes the album -- "My President" with special guest Nas -- works much better with flippant verses ("We ready for damn change/So you all let the man shine") more suitable for a man who prefers to be called "The Snowman." Same goes for "Circulate" and its great line about oil prices ("Gas higher than me") but The Recession abandons politics often enough that you can't call it ponderous or even a concept album. With those great drums and fake trumpets producer Drumma Boy loves so much, trap star anthem "Amazin" is simple, feel-good music for pimps and players, while the soul-filled "Word Play" finds Jeezy and the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League celebrating the power of rap with warm nostalgia in their hearts. "Put On" with Kanye West singing through an Auto-Tune is the usual second-line goodness that Jeezy normally rounds out albums with, but there's more forgettable filler than expected, most of it sounding like mixtape leftovers or in the case of "Vacation," lackluster and forced club tracks. Of course with 18 songs the album allows for some dead weight and trimming. Even if it falls a distant third out of the first three, the scattershot Recession is still a welcome and even risky step forward, one carried by its highlights and the newfound awareness that the cocaine grind isn't everything. ~ David Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	01/10/2025
Label:	Universal Import
UPC:	0843563176047

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jeezy   Primary Artist
Trey Songz   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Jay-Z   Primary Artist
Lil' Boosie   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Anthony Hamilton   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Nas   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Kanye West   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Chris Davies   Spoken Word
Trina Broussard   Vocals
Frank Charlton   Spoken Word
Larry McRary   Drums
Laura Edwards   Vocals
Lora Cain   Spoken Word
Miykal Snoody   Keyboards
Peter Drew   Spoken Word

Technical Credits

DJ Pain   Audio Production,Producer
DJ Toomp   Audio Production
The Inkredibles   Audio Production
Wolsey Thomas   Composer
Erik Reyes-Ortiz   Composer
Shawty Redd   Audio Production
Terry Allen   Composer,Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Drumma Boy   Audio Production
Chris Davies   Performer
Chris Athens   Mastering
Billy Paul   Composer
Leslie Brathwaite   Mixing
L.A. Reid   Executive Producer
D. Rich   Audio Production
Justice League   Producer,Audio Production
Demetrius Stewart   Composer
Kanye West   Composer
Mike Dean   Vocal Recording
Mike Davis   Composer,Composer,Composer
Willie Hutch   Composer
Anthony Hamilton   Composer
Katie Davis   Composer
Crown Kings Productions   Audio Production
Wolsey David Thomas   Producer,Audio Production
DJ Squeeky   Producer,Audio Production
Fatboi   Producer,Audio Production
John Oates   Composer
Howard White   Composer
Don Cannon   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Frank Charlton   Performer
Lora Cain   Performer
Metkel Deglel   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Peter Drew   Performer
Simon Gidewon   Composer,Producer,Audio Production
Derrick Selby   Engineer
La'Damon Douglas   Composer
Jay Jenkins   Composer
Tremaine Neverson   Composer
Ken Lewis   Creation
Tony Rey   Engineer
Jonathan Mannion   Photography
Shawn Carter   Composer
Aldrin Davis   Composer
Justin Henderson   Composer
Shakir Stewart   A&R,Executive Producer
Johnny Mollings   Composer
Erica Bowen   A&R,General Manager
Nicholas Solis   Composer,Engineer
Tha Bizness   Audio Production
Dwayne Richardson   Composer
Midnight Black   Audio Production
Inkredibles   Producer
April Roomet   Stylist
TaVon Sampson   Design,Art Direction
Lenny Mollings   Composer
Eric Weissman   Sample Clearance
Terese Joseph   A&R
Dina Marto   A&R
Demetrius Ellerbee   Executive Producer
Emily Voegtlin   Assistant Engineer
Maurice Carpenter   Composer
Leigh Elliott   Composer
Nasir Jones   Composer
Leonard Perry   Composer
Maldrige Cowart   Composer
Christopher Gholson   Composer
Chris Whitacre   Composer
Torrence Hatch   Composer
Donald Level   Composer
Erik Ortiz   Composer
Kevin Crowe   Composer
Tracey Sewell   Composer
Haywood Ivy Jr.   Composer
Pacal Bayley   Composer