Loss of Big Pun stings like a shotgun

Terror Squad is back … kind of. With its first release since the self-titled debut back in '99, the line-up is as different as the rap landscape was back then. \nThe biggest difference (no pun intended) is the loss of Big Pun, the brightest star in Fat Joe's Bronx crew, who passed away in 2000 at the height of his success. Added to the mix is female rapper Remy Martin and Tony Sunshine, who adds a little R&B to the mix. \nRemy, who's MC battle-tested, is given a substantial amount of mic time on True Story, which despite her current "mic-cred" isn't always a good thing, as her verses are hit and miss, including straight bites of other rappers' verses ("said he liked my necklace/started relaxin'/now that's what the fuck I call a chain reaction") who aren't even from the Bronx. Name that rapper, kids!\nMost of the album appears to be a showcase for Remy, perhaps trying to seek out a new identity for Terror Squad post-Pun. Instead of the original one-two punch (or double cheeseburger … or double stack …) of Fat Joe and Pun, it's almost as though they're aiming for a hood king and princess image instead, which is a stretch at best. \nThis isn't to say True Story is whack by any means, it's just not the same as their classic debut. Battling "Lean Back" for best song on True Story is "Take Me Home." While "Lean Back" is the brash, hood-banger, "Take Me Home" is the lighter, player side of the Squad. No song on Terror Squad sounds alike, as beats range from hard ("Bring 'em Back") to smooth ("Thunder in the Air") to Presidential ("Yeah Yeah Yeah"). \n"Yes Dem to Def" would be a rather catchy song, but for some reason, like many rap CDs lately, it's edited for explitives, the only one on the album. This might not be a big problem, but for Joe, a thug who spits out "mothafucka" like peanuts in a dugout, his first verse on the song may as well be done in sign language, it's muted so much. Engineers and producers, what is up with this trend? Save that version for Wal-Mart. \nWithout Big Pun, Terror Squad just doesn't have that star-studded presence, as old members Prospect and Armageddon don't step up to run for VP of the squad. Fat Joe is left bearing all the weight himself, which he is mildly successful at doing, as the entire album he raps most passionately, probably knowing his clique isn't what it used to be.