This is the 15th full-length studio LP from Hayward, California emcee Spice 1. A pioneer in the Bay Area scene, his first 6 albums with Jive Records (most notably the sophomore effort 187 He Wrote) played a big role in cementing himself in that status & has remained independent since the turn of the current millennium. Aside from the This is Thug World mixtape showcasing the talent on he’s signed to his very own label Thug World Music Group, there’s no doubt that Spice’s previous body of work Platinum O.G. was his best since The Last Dance nearly 2 decades prior & I didn’t expect any less from the sequel. Especially with N.O. Joe producing the whole thing.
“Since the Day” featuring CL Smooth starts off with a sample-heavy opener taking us through an average day in the streets knowing they’ve been hard from the jump whereas “Gangsta Shit” featuring Rick Ross, Q Bosilini & Snoop Dogg shifts into trap territory talking about being the Gs that they are. After the “Sway Speaks Bay Area History” skit, “Projects” featuring K-Rino & Treach brings a funkier loop into the fold with hi-hats telling stories from the PJs just before the groovy “Crumbs with Bums” featuring Conway the Machine talks about rich cats who’re fake.
After the “Sway Speaks Impact” skit, “How Long” featuring Nawfside works in some organs to ask exactly how long will they mourn each other leading into the 2nd single “Deuces in the Sky” featuring MC Eiht & Worldwide serving as an anthem for all the west coast heads to throw their 2s up. “Not Easy” featuring Devin the Dude, Lee Royal & Nawfside brings back the funk a little getting twisted every day but after the “Sway Speaks Importance” skit, “Thriller” featuring Nawfside alongside Q Bosilini & Tela menacingly talks about being straight up killers.
“Come Out with Me” featuring the late Bushwick Bill & once again Q Bosilini samples “My Flame” by Bobby Caldwell to show a sensual side to all 3 of them while “Houston to the Bay” featuring Lil’ Flip & Paul Wall comes through with this trunk-knocking ode to both cities. After the “Sway Speaks Industry Influence” skit, “Real G’s 2” featuring B-Legit as well as Domino & KXNG CROOKED is a sequel to a track on O.G. Platinum that’s better than the original ahead of the party-starting “Henny Out the Bottle” featuring C-Bo, the late Hussein Fatal & Nawfside. After the “Sway Speaks Spice 1 the Legend” skit, the final song “Yesterday” featuring Fiend, Mac, Mr. Serv-On & Q Bosilini slickly closes Platinum O.G. 2reminiscing.
Was sorta hoping that we were going to get a new body of work from him with lesser features due to the fact that I can truthfully be a little skeptical about projects overloaded with one feature after another & regardless of me still hoping for that sooner rather than later, I very much have to give Spice 1 & N.O. Joe credit for delivering a monumental collaboration joined by a constellation of amongst some of hip hop’s most elite MCs. I’d even say that I happened to enjoy the sequel more than the original LP he made his comeback with the summer before the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe’s production is a cut above the predecessor’s so the Bay Area veteran & company tell the listener stories that pulsate with the lifeblood of the streets.
Score: 7/10