In terms of sheer anticipation, Jada “Mwaah” Kiss ‘ buzz is at an apex. While fellow Lox members, Sheek and Styles, flashed improved flows and lyrics on Lox’s sophomore strike, We Are The Streets, Jadakiss remained the group’s undisputed front man. However, thanks to pinch-hitting on a slew of dazzling collaborations, Jada had simply outgrown the label of being his crew’s most-distinguished lyricist. While Jada gradually evolved into one of the East Coast’s most-revered lyricists, his husky intonations, and awe-inspiring bars hinted at potential greatness. And with the streets virtually foaming at the mouth, Jada returns from the lab to birth his solo-debut Kiss Tha Game Goodbye.

As the last bars of Kiss The Game Goodbye ring out, you can’t help but be left with one lingering impression; kiss the buzz goodbye. Reason being, for all of Jada’s derogatory, shiny-suit comments about his former boss, and the Lox’s grass-roots/defamation campaign to be released from Puff’s pop-orientated constraints, Jada’s solo-debut would fit rather nicely on Diddy’s Bad Boy imprint. Sure, there are some bangers here; the celebratory, Alchemist produced “We Gonna Make It”feat. Styles bubbles, the DJ Premier blessed “None Of Y’all Betta” f/Styles & Sheek, and the gully “Un-Hunh” feat. DMX includes a possible Jay-Z diss from DMX “I only gave you the crown so I could shoot it off your fucking head”, and a Beanie Sigel diss from Jada, “I’ll give you a reason, why I’m the truth for real, niggas can’t fuck with Kiss I mean that, had to stop eating red meat cause I ate too many Beanie Mac’s,” and further “realistically, you just a worker, and your boss is my man.” Yet, these harder-hitting efforts are leavened out by uncharacteristically smooth production, a lack of direction, and gasp, Jada’s yearning for commercial love.

With self-explanatory titles like “Nasty Girl” feat. Carl Thomas, “I’m A Gangsta” feat. Parle, “Cruisin’” feat. Snoop Dogg, and the obligatory southern bounce cut “What You Ride For” feat. Fiend, Yung Wun, and Eightball, it becomes abundantly clear that that Jada is trying to hard to please everyone, and with little success. And while the sappy R&B hooks on “Jada’s Got A Gun”, and “Keep Ya Head Up” are just horrendous. What A&R brainiac gave the green light on interpolating Warren G, and Nate Dogg’s “Regulate”, as “Kiss Is Spittin” (feat. Nate Dogg – who could have phoned in his vocals) is a classic example of going to the well once too often. But Jada is not the only one peeling wheels here, as the interchangeable production supplied by Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and a host of others offers very little assistance.

Catering his music to the TRL crowd does not play into Jada’s strengths as an emcee. But he does not come away empty-handed. The Neptunes club-tinged “Knock Yourself Out”, bounces in all the right places, and Jada even borrows a page from Jay-Z on the raucous call, and response number “Put Ya Hands Up”, (which bares a striking resemblance to Jigga’s “Do It Again”). Ironically, the LP’s best cut, “Feel Me” is a skit. Though short-lived, “Feel Me” is two-minutes of pure fire, as Jada delivers an introspective kiss to Alchemist’s whimsical track “I don’t rap I provide you bars, and the pain is invisible, but you can’t hide the scars.”

After jumping ship from one former label of the moment (Bad Boy) to another (Ruff Ryders), what did Jada’s change of address really accomplish? After all, if Jada wanted to go the commercial route, who better then P.Diddy to lead him there? Somewhere in the midst of all this you can bet the Shiny Suit Man is smirking.