Petey Pablo is synonymous with a certain era. There are certain verses–his contribution to Ciaras "Goodies," his feature on Lil Wayne's "Gangsta Shit," or his very own "Freak-a-Leek"–that I will never forget the words to no matter how long it's been since they came out.
Since Petey Pablo's last album it's been fourteen years and a D'Angelo length hiatus is not easy to come back from, but Petey Pablo can still rap. Whether or not his beats sound of the moment (which they don't, although some of them are very good, like "You Know I Do"), it's a pleasure to hear his deft, Snoop-esque, laid-back flow (like on "Goodies," "Freak-a-Leek" or the new "") or his other signature, the booming register that you hear on songs like "Gangsta Shit" or, on the new album, "Keep on Goin."
Pablo has released a few tracks here and there over the past few years, but the new album is definitely a surprise, especially considering he doesn't have a single big-name feature. Is he "back like [he] never left"? Listen below and decide for your self: