The Pack - Wolfpack Party (ALBUM REVIEW)

Click READ MORE to check out my review of The Pack's new album Wolfpack Party.

It has been a while since The Pack’s debut album Based Boys. Three years to be exact. A lot has changed in that time. Jive Records is no longer the label of The Pack. The new album finds the group moved to SMC Recordings. Each member of the group has expanded into being a solo artist, some of other groups, and many of them are now clothing designers. Lil B has taken the Internet by storm.

The Pack was one of the first groups to score a mainstream single moving hip-hop in a new direction. They were gaining major attention before The Cool Kids had their huge buzz with their bike inspired first single “Black Mags.” The Pack’s single “Vans” definitely showed hip-hop progressing into a new playing field and the group enjoyed a fair amount of success with that particular track. Their debut EP Skateboards To Scrapers sold fairly well also. The debut album Based Boys was poised to take the group to a new level. Then something happened. It seemed that the label just had no idea what to do with the group, while countless other clone groups from the Bay Area emerged copying The Pack, then the whole scene was engulfed by the “skateboarding” rapper trend. Many artists emerged and they all claimed to be based which was an idea and style that The Pack had originated.

So after three years, some downtime, and various other projects the group return with their sophomore album Wolfpack Party. The big questions on everyone’s mind is how does it stack up to the debut and is it enough to stand out in the new hip-hop arena that has been built over the last few years?

As I listen to the album one thing is evident. The group put a lot of time into creating the best album they could. None of the members wants to be the star of the album. This is a group effort. The album lives up to its title. It definitely has a party vibe. The beats are some of the best I have heard from the group as they hold the signature style the group is known for having. Young L shows off his improved production on the album as well as The Cataracs. It would be tough not to enjoy the beats. If you are not a fan of the vulgar or raunchy lyrics you can find some solace in the top-notch production which I feel at times can drive the album over any lyric or hook. This is not to say that the rhyming is lacking because the album also shows off improved rapping from the group. Each member’s flow has improved and the lyrics are stronger than some of their previous efforts.

The album is like Based Boys on steroids. It is a bigger beast but it holds many of the same characteristics. The album has many tracks that are about similar things you heard on Based Boys, but it definitely has an amped up feeling.

My overall analysis is that this album could win some fans over. If you were a fan of The Pack and have waited out the years for the sophomore album you should be more than pleased. This is a much more complete album. The Pack sticks to what worked from previous releases but improved on those things. The beats show what two or three years in the studio can produce, which is a much improved, refined sound. Will everyone love this album? No, I don’t think so. I don’t think certain groups can win over certain audiences. The lyrics could be considered offensive, but The Pack as a group knows who they are and own their sound and ideas on the album. As a fan of the group’s debut album Based Boys this is the album I wanted to hear the group make. It is an album that starts and keeps up its pace for the entire 19 tracks, which is a tough task for any album. It lives up to its name and it is certainly a Wolfpack Party.