Mixerr Album Reviews #902

This is Michael Mixerr. I am review today Lil Troy - Back To Ballin'.

Lil Troy resurfaced with a comeback album for the year 2001 after Sittin' Fat Down South in prison serving penitentiary sentence in Baytown, Texas. He surprised music critics such as All Music Guide, Houston Chronicle, MTV, and BET with this attempt of a comeback album! After all nobody would expect after serving a prison sentence Lil Troy would resurface back into the music scene. However, Back To Ballin' failed to meet the same levels of success as the predecessor album Sittin' Fat Down achieved reaching platinum status of 2 million units. Lil Troy is a hit and miss type of artist. Meaning that some of his tracks on his albums are worth listening to and others are not. His albums have some weak points and Back To Ballin' is no exception. Some tracks are worth listening to while others aren't. Lil Troy fans slept on and overlooked this album which resulted in Lil Troy's popularity to fade into obscurity after 2002.


For Years is the beginning comeback track that is the first full track on the Back To Ballin' album. For years, Lil Troy has been deep up this rap game, drug game, and textile manufacturing market. He's been deep up in this game since the 1980s.

We Gon Lean is the track that holds down the weight of the whole album as this was the #1 hit single off the album that received major airplay on the radio in Texas and the southern United States. Yes this is the same We Gon Lean that featured Will-Lean of the Botany Boyz and Lil Flip of group H$E. Lil Flip dished out the illest rhymes on this track. The music video received a bit minor rotation on MTV and BET back in 2001 when it first came out. Lil Flip wrote a portion of the track. We gon lean, you gon lean.

Lil Troy pays homage and tribute to Notorious BIG by titling this next track Mo Money, Mo Problems. No he doesn't try to jock or copy his flow in terms of rapping. The more money Lil Troy has the more problems he is likely to encounter. He encounters these problem while having large sums of money. It gets stressful. After all, having money can lead to having problems as they say.

Now Lil Troy warns the haters, gossipers, and snitches out there to keep his name out of their mouths on Keep My Name Out Your Mouth. Hardcore rap meets gangsta rap with a touch of lyricism on Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth. Billy Cook lays down the soulful vocals with his voice. You can his work all over this one. Although Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth sounds similar to what Big Pokey, ESG, UGK, DJ DMD, or Lil Keke would rap about.

It's back to ballin' for Lil Troy on Back To Ballin'. It's back to business as usual for Lil Troy. Ballin' is what Lil Troy does best. This is another track that was a single for this album. It was on the B Side of the We Gon Lean single issued on vinyl. Also, Back To Ballin' contains elements that sample Love You Inside & Out by Bee Gees.

Lil Troy turns Ladies Night into Lesbian Nights. Lesbian Nights contains replayed elements and samples from Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang. Lesbian Nights sounds like a title for a pornography flick. Billy Cook lays down the soulful chorus.

Dead Wrong tells us that for those who thought Lil Troy fell off, you're dead wrong! He's still alive and ballin'. Dead Wrong is aimed at those haters and naysayers who doubted Lil Troy from the beginning. Doubted that he wouldn't make it in the game. You are all wrong.

Wired Up is a lyricist freestyle. Lil Troy gets all wound up and wired up on this track. It  is freestyle rap.

There He Go is a flow track. There He Go is not the best track on the album. It's rather weak in terms of lyrics and quality. Buckle is a freestyle rap track which is another weak track.

I rate this album, Back To Ballin', 4/5****!