Mixerr Album Reviews #2,329

Around The World in a Day was a breathtaking comeback album for Austin-based rap artist Lil Black back in 2000. He improved in his style of rapping by using the flow and cadence of Houston rap legend Scarface with a tempo of T-Rock. Not only did he improve his rapping technique and style, his album sales rose by 200% due to radio play of singles Around The World in a Day, Why You Wanna Hurt Me Girl, and OG’s. The Around The World in a Day album sold over 200,000 copies resulting in moderate success for Lil Black.

This album has party jams such as If You Wanna Party, 3rd Coast Rock, Around The World in a Day, and I'm Lovin' Every Minute Of It. Gangsta rap tracks such as When Ganstaz Dance, Thugs Ball, and Do It The G Way are included as well. This album has sexual themed songs such as Play With Me, and Never Let You Go. Also included on this album are philosophical songs such as OG’s and My Message to a Dyin' World. Singles for this album are Around The World in a Day, If You Wanna Party, OG’s, and Why You Wanna Hurt Me Girl. Around The World in a Day does not feature any guest stars or appearances unlike his first album.

Around The World in a Day has tight on point production by Tim Bailey (T-Baby), Byrd, Yoggie Musgrove,  and Salih of Carnival Beats Entertainment. However the songs produced by Byrd are sort of bland and monotonous in a musical sense. The beats, chords, bells, and synths he uses are kind of flat and do no have the same velocity of loudness or presence as songs produced by Big Bailey. Now Big Bailey has always been dope with his production. Vocalist Terell gives the album a soulful edge in tune with his singing.

Around The World in a Day is one of the best albums next to We All Gone Die, On The Road Again, and Dark Territory. For some reason, the Around The World in a Day album flew under the radar for some reason. Even moreso than On The Road Again.

Around The World in a Day by Lil Black was released from Big Baby Records and Nuf Sed Inc out of Elgin, Texas in 2000 on CD & cassette.

For those who don't know, Lil Black was raised in Elgin, a small country town outside of Austin, Texas. He has had 2 records on the "Texas Artist Top 40 Countdown" back in 2000 and 2001; (Back On The Road and Around The World in a Day being Song of the Year for 2000) as well as holding down the #1 spot for 5 straight weeks. For those of you who are from Austin, you all may remember that Lil Black had told the story  his life story and how he shamed his family by choosing the street life in the Austin American Statesman front page in 2001. (He made news 1999 through 2002.) Lil Black believes that his growth and maturity as an artist time has come.



The intro to this album has Lil Black at the airport. He is boarding a plane to take him around the world in a day in just a 24 hour period. The intro fits perfectly with the album’s theme obviously. You know things are going to take an epic turn as soon as you hear an airplane flying. Things are about to get epic.


Holla My Name uses a catchy chorus and lyrics. Lil Black tells everyone that he will always be there for friends and family no matter what on Holla My Name.

If You Wanna Party is about the party lifestyle he lives and was another one of his buzz singles that got radio play. However this single was not as much of a success as Why You Wanna Hurt Me Girl or Around The World in a Day were.

Play With Me discusses Lil Black’s sexual escapades with women around Austin and Elgin. Terell is the one doing the vocals. You will definitely enjoy soulful sultry sounds of Terell with him singing. You can never go wrong with Terell singing background vocals.

Third Coast Rock is a dedication to the Dirty South. Specifically Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, and Alabama .


Why You Wanna Hurt Me Girl was one of his singles from this album which 88.7 KAZI FM. Oddly enough this song did not stay on the Texas Top 10 Countdown for 5 weeks straight as the title track did. However Why You Wanna Hurt Me Girl became Song of the Year for 2000 along with Around The World in a Day. The song was notable for using the sample of Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me.


Lil Black explains, talks, and raps about his travels of the places he has been to in 1 day on the title track Around The World in a Day. 1 day is just a period of 24 hours. The beats to this song are incredibly tight. You can never go wrong with Big Bailey.

This song was one of his singles from this exact album which got constant radio play on 88.7 KAZI FM thus eventually holding down the #1 spot on the Texas Top 10 Countdown for 5 straight weeks. The song became Song of the Year for 2000 soon enough.


Lovin' Every Minute Of It is a joyful song which includes production from the producer Byrd. Byrd manages to make this a decent track. Lil Black dreams about his life and how he loves every minute of his life. He loves every moment of his lifestyle. That is what the song explains and explores.

Never Let You Go is one of the jazzy rap tracks off the album. Lil Black lets the woman he dating know that he will never let her go.

My Message to a Dyin' World is a song about the truth of our world of what's going on today. My Message to a Dyin' World still carries a relevant message today. It’s more true today than it was ever before. Our world has been dying since 2000 came around. Lil Black's political and religious thoughts make him shine as he shows self-consciousness and awareness.

Do It The G Way tells the story about a woman Lil Black was dating. He runs into her ex-boyfriend at a party. Things get heated from there.


The song OG's comes from a former drug dealers perspective. The song revolves around his experience as a drug dealer as the song’s premise entirely revolves around the drug game. He talks and raps about the drug game coming up in around Austin, particularly Elgin. OG’s are original gangsters.

The song also serves as a cautionary tale. By sharing educational knowledge about the tricks and trades along with the ups and downs of the drug game, Lil Black cautions those to stay away from drug and criminal activity.

The song explains what OG's in the drug game were teaching Lil Black when he was coming up. That is where his experiences as a drug dealer came from. Lil Black explains the ups and downs of being a drug dealer while operating under the guise of a businessman while pursuing criminal activity. Many known that Lil Black was making moves in the game during that time. Real talk.

He emphatically states how the new breed must learn the rules of the game. He spits "And I blame it on the young nigga/Give'em an inch, they'll take a mile/Never had a real job as a child/But now they livin' buckwild/Havin' money and causin' enemies/Smokin' away as they drinkin' hennesey" as he does his dedication to the originals.


Thugs Ball is one of the club oriented songs with him and his friends calling out at a club. The beats fit in perfectly well with the lyrics.

When Gangstaz Dance is another one of those party tracks which is almost as tight as If You Wanna Party and Thugs Ball. However the beats are bland and flat. The beats were produced in low quality. This song was produced by Byrd.

Come Down, Come Through is another song about coming up. The song is an underground classic to its own right. Now that is understatement of course. The beats programmed by Big Bailey are dope.

The outro and album ends with the plane landing at an airport. Lil Black boards off a plane.

I rate this album 4/5****!!