Yonkers, N.Y., rapper Jadakiss broke out in the late ’90s as one-third of The Lox, then released three solid solo records that revealed moments of excellence amid forgettable ones. Six years after his last album, and longer than that since his career prime, he has named his fourth LP Top 5 Dead or Alive, a bold declaration the record doesn’t quite live up to.
It features street bangers filled with impressively alternating flows but, like his past full-lengths, has less regard for consistency. Jadakiss at his best is rough yet reflective, contemplating mortality on the lugubrious “Man in the Mirror” and relationships on “Rain,” a remorseful duet with Nas. But lush productions like the Just Blaze-helmed “Synergy” are juxtaposed with fit-for-mixtape fodder (the phoned-in “Kill” is a particular dud), detracting from what should be the focus: his sterling abilities as a lyricist.