Twista’s albums always strive to come off as epic as the title
The Perfect Storm implies, so veteran fans won’t be surprised at all when “Darkness” opens this one so dramatically -- thunderstorms, deep voice, etc. -- that you’d think
Kanye was just around the corner. Instead, it’s the “world's fastest rapper” with his usual speed and amped attitude, and while he’s got the hunger, the anger, and the swagger to get it done on the up cuts,
Twista albums seem to stumble on their slow jams post-“Overnight Celebrity.” After that massive cut, all the forgettable bedroom numbers since have suggested he should be more hit-it-and-quit-it with the genre, and here, “2012” adds an
808s & Heartbreak-style chill to the mix in hopes the backpackers might come back. They shouldn’t bother, and when
Twista compares his shutter speed to his sex speed on “Make a Movie,” it’s a cringe-worthy moment even
R. Kelly would avoid. These lapses in judgment are frustrating because gangsta speed trials like “Back to the Basics” and “Up to Speed” absolutely kill. There’s a home run EP in here, but at an album’s length, this storm is far from perfect. ~ David Jeffries