While he has released more than ten albums in some shape or form, Fat Joe is one of the originators of the concept of a rapper who claims he is not a rapper, but rather a gangsta, hustla, or something along those lines (Jay-Z is of course the main supporter of this ideaology, which almost every Southern solo artist in the last 5 years has co-opted).  Yet, since Joe's reputation precedes to an extent far beyond that of almost anyone else in hip-hop (only Big Lurch can contest him in "realness"), everyone has actually bought into the idea that Fat Joe is, in fact, still the most gangsta man to ever put his voice on wax.  This idea has helped make up for a few of Joe's shortcomings on the mic, but since his last album, Royalty, flopped so badly, Joe has put it all on this album, as evidenced by the ultimatum that is implied by the title: All or Nothing.

For the first time in a while, Fat Joe has the upper hand coming into the release of his sixth solo album.  Not only does he have a few tracks heating up the mixtape scene, All or Nothing also features a hilarious diss to the highest selling rapper this year, two singles climbing up the charts, and a certified BOSE sound system crusher in "Safe 2 Say (The Incredible)".  Somehow still, Joe goes back to his old ways and adheres to the formula that keeps killing his post-album release hype.  He mistakes this market for the same one that made J.O.S.E. (Jealous Ones Still Envy) a platinum success and releases love songs that would make the Inc. blush.  He makes club bangers that make "Headsprung" look intellectual.  He just keeps finding ways to mess everything up.  However, he doesn't dissapoint on all fronts; the aforementioned lyrical beatdown he gives to 50 Cent on "My FoFo" is the first genuinely catchy and menacing song that Joe's made (the catchy part can be attributed to his generously lifting the melody of the Flinstones' theme).  Crack even tries to get a little conceptual on the loose storyline in two chapters of "Temptation".  Even as he fails often on this album, his knack for anthems is pretty uncanny; "Safe 2 Say", "Beat Novacane", and "Victim" all but make up for his strange affinity for saccharine-coated "ladies" songs.  Hell, it's strange that on an album with a title as decisive as All or Nothing, Joe gets stuck somewhere inbetween.

Whether Fat Joe is a rapper or not is not debatable; the man has made fifteen times the amount of albums than whichever "real" hip-hop purist is taking up a corner of a page in SPIN Magazine this month.  Whether he can hold it down for a whole album is a true question mark.  Maybe next time he'll give us a more definitive answer than an album name.

iPod Worthy:  "My FoFo", "Safe 2 Say (The Incredible)", "Beat Novacane", "So Much More"

Skip 'Em:  "Hold You Down", "So Hot", "Get It Poppin", "Lean Back (Remix)", "Everybody Get Up"

Overall: 2.5 out of Six Shots