Two big things came into Yo Gotti's life since his last effort, 2003's overlooked Life, was released. First there was his hooking-up with the Cash Money label by way of Gotti's group the Block Burnaz, and then there was his brush with the big time when his fantastic track Full Time made an appearance in the film Hustle & Flow. These two events must have given the rapper the framework for Back 2 Da Basics, a solid effort that's cold, hungry, and ambitious without ignoring the weekend and the party time that comes with it. Suggesting the next Robin Hood might be in the crackhouse pushing bricks of drugs , the It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp-styled side of the album is satisfying and acknowledges hard Southern hip-hop's success with respect and a little it shoulda been me. Tough love abounds on Cold Game while A Part of Thugs is a gripping tale of heartbreak in the hood, implying that the drug war and intercontinental military wars cut equally deep into relationships. The bolder, Cash Money-flavored tracks are best represented by I Got Them, which modernizes Baby and Mannie Fresh's Big Tymers track into a 2006 crunk attack with help from Lil Wayne. Gangsta Party utilizes Bun B, 8 Ball, and a Marvin Gaye sample without squandering any of them, while That's What They Made It Foe finds Yo Gotti delivering a T.G.I.F. anthem with help from Pooh Bear and hot producer Scott Storch (Gotti fesses I paid like ten bricks for this one!). Some redundant filler towards the end keeps this from being a classic, but Back 2 Da Basics is well rounded and has enough heat to turn this hood-respected rapper into a more high-profile hustler. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi

As one of the five epicenters of Southern hip hop, Memphis has long had a thriving artist community who have sold thousands of cds without major label support. In 2005-2006, America felt the heat from the Memphis streets more than ever with platinum hit makers like Eightball & MJG, recent Grammy Award winners Three 6 Mafia and others. Local legend Yo Gotti is the next to step up and rep his hometown with his TVT Records debut, Back 2 Da Basics. Gotti, along with Three 6 and Eightball & MJG, was recently featured on MTV's My Block: The Hustle And Flow of Memphis and in media ranging from Mass Appeal's 14 pg. spread on the Memphis scene to the New York Times review of one of his classic underground mix tapes. Memphis is poised to become the new Houston as hip hop's next regional scene to bust into national prominence and Yo Gotti's new single, Gangsta Party featuring Bun B and Eightball is his ticket to big time blingdom. Back 2 Da Basics features more Gotti rhyme spitting with guest shots from Cash Money's All Star, Lil Wayne, Baby and Young Buck. One track on Back 2 Da Basics many may already be familiar with is Full Time, a street's eye view real enough to be featured in the hit movie, Hustle and Flow.