Z-Ro - Let the Truth Be Told (2005)

1. Mo City Don (Freestyle) 4:25

2. The Mule (feat. Devin the Dude & Juvenile) 4:29

3. Don't Wanna Hurt Nobody (feat. Trae & Lil' Boss) 3:31

4. Platinum 3:30

5. It Don't Stop 3:41

6. I'm a Soldier 3:35

7. 1 Night (feat. Trae) 5:07

8. Help Me Please 5:00

9. Another Song 4:20

10. Everyday, Samethang 4:18

11. The Same One 3:57

12. 1st Time Again (feat. Ashanti) 4:31

13. From the South (feat. Lil' Flip & Paul Wall) 3:50

14. Respect My Mind (feat. Tanya Herron) 4:59

15. Ride 2 Night 4:33

16. Auntie & Grandma 4:10

17. It's a Shame 3:26

"Entertained by my struggle and they'd love to see me die..." 

Nothing short of a modern classic. Like many of his albums, it starts off like a gangsta party, with Z-Ro killing it over the "Paid In Full" Coldcut remix instrumental, banging bitches with Devin and Juvie and threatening your life with Trae and Lil Boss, but a few tracks later he's back in hell, with "Help Me Please" maybe being THE single most miserable song he's ever recorded. I could almost write a whole review about this track alone, it might be the most tragic rap song I've ever heard. The beat is a massive epic electric blues number, and Ro pretty much outlines everything wrong with his life in three verses, from spending every other summer in prison to all of his friends betraying him to just plain feeling horrible and down and out. The only ray of sunshine in Ro's live is, apparently, his cousin Trae, who he refers to as an "angel". Screw you if it sounds emo, how many other rappers would say something like that on a record? Exactly one. I can't even get into naming other individual tracks, the whole thing is superb, even the song with Ashanti is cool. The production is, again, phenomenal throughout the whole damn album. Because it's Rap-A-Lot, even the tracks that are basically the modern equivalent of '70s smooth soul ("Respect My Mind") have that massive low end thump that reminds you that you're listening to the same label that put out Willie D's Controversy. Some people claim Z-Ro is the current day, southern equivalent of 2Pac, and while I don't think that's 100% accurate, I will say that if Z-Ro IS the modern Pac, this album is his Me Against The World, with him coming realer than he ever has before over maybe the finest production he's ever received.
-ClintRuin

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