For almost 15 years, Raymond "Benzino" Scott has attempted to attain gold status on every album he’s dropped, without success. He’s released records with groups Almighty RSO and Made Men, a solo album, and even a solo "remix project" album. None has even come close to approaching the 500,000 units sold necessary to achieve a gold plaque. Throughout his career, Benzino has used the considerable influence he wields in the hip-hop world as part owner of The Source Magazine (the Bible of the rap game) to promote his albums, further his agenda, and garner glowing reviews for records that can be viewed as mediocre at best. All of this action has been futile in Benzino’s quest for the golden fleece- er, record. So his new tactic to go gold, a la 2 Live Crew, is controversy. Benzino’s recorded 2 dis songs, "Die Another Day," which is only available on bootleg mixtapes, and "Pull Your Skirt Up" which is included officially on Redemption. The target of his ire: some guy named Eminem. nice.

So this must mean Benzino’s stepped it up. If you go after the top dog, you’ll have some killer stuff to back up your words, right? Wrong. It’s another midling- to- fair effort from Ray. Besides the Eminem dis, which is outright pathetic, it’s just boilerplate tough-talk. He’s still talking about how much of a gangsta he is, the people that only love him for his money, killing people, and how much of a gangsta he is. The best moments come from guest artists, particularly Jadakiss and Scarface. As for the strictly Benzino tracks, only "Rock the Party" can be seen as a (minor) success. On the title track, Benzino gives what may be the most misguided attempt at spirituality in history. "If you think that nigga did it, hit him in the chest and keep it movin’/ Or go sit your silly ass down, don’t give me no excuses how you turned your little life around." Later in the same song, Benzino tells us, "God I’m dropping to my knees, my rosary’s in my hand/ And I’m screaming Lord please, you gotta take the pain away." Most gangsta rap is a little ambiguous, but this is just nonsense. Ray expresses disgust for someone who’s not as gung-ho as him to commit murder. In the same breath, he wants the Lord to take his pain away. Forgive us if we don’t empathize, Benzino.

So will Ray go gold? If he does, it’ll be due to the controversy he’s sparked by going after Eminem, not the strength of this record. For 17 tracks spread over a too long one hour and 8 minutes, he spits tiresome platitudes about the gangsta life over decent (if similar) beats. The hidden track "Love" ends this ponderous effort, and at last- redemption.

Tom Donnelly