Easy Moe Bee’s name might not yet by as synonymous with beats as Dr. Dre’s or DJ Premier’s, but over the years it’s snuck onto the production credits of various B.I.G. and 2Pac  tracks, as well as countless others albums, you just never noticed it. Using his long list of customers and collaborators, Easy Moe now pulls together his own album, emphasizing his beat-making skills, and even rhyming once in while.

Moe Bee’s a natural at creating, thundering jeep beats that quickly gain classic status on your favorite artists albums, and he does the same here. The Gang Starr  collaboration “Soul”, along with the Sauce Money / Ranjahz featured b-side, “Sunstroke”, both show his knack for making flawless stick-up soundtracks, while the misery of the inner-city is captured musically on both “N.Y.C.” (feat. Kool G Rap & Jinx) and “Sex Money Drugs” (feat. Da Nation).

Yet while these songs aim for classic status, at a whopping 26 tracks in length, the album has one too many flaws that separate it from the joining the ranks of others he’s produced. Most notably, is the inclusion of a whole new generation of pocket thugs, who lack the experience of the seasoned emcees their sharing mic time with. Tracks like “Shit Goin’ Down Tonight”, “Time To Shine”, and even “NYC”, might feature favorites like Kurupt, Craig Mack, and Snoop Dogg, but the differences between them, and new jacks like Da Nation, Soul Searchers, and Glaze N.Y. are night and day. Surely the underground has much better hidden talent than these new jacks, as Easy could have dug a little deeper.

Another problem that plagues this album is Easy’s attempt at making commercial records, when no-holds-barred, hardcore album tracks are his forte. “Sound of My Heat” (feat. Snoop Dogg & Glaze NY) drips with disgusting, outdated commercial funk, while “Make Em Bounce”, featuring radio /mixtape personalities turned emcees, Angie Martinez and Doo Wop, also does little but nauseate the listener. Speaking of which, thing really turn sour when Easy Moe Bee himself picks up the mic, on both “Always Be There For You” and “Dis Beat Is Mine”. Not only do these tracks serve as perfect examples of why hip-hop should not try to mesh with R&B, but also why Easy should stick to what he’s good at - making beats.

But even on the mouth watering team-ups of Busta Rhymes and Raekwon on “Let’s Make A Toast” or Mobb Deep and The Cocoa Brovaz on “We Pledge Alligence”, Easy’s production sadly falls through, leaving little or no chemistry between the artists. While Easy Moe Bee has made his mark as a producer over the years, it may take him a little longer than Now Or Never to convince us to keep checkin’ for him.