By Choice or By Force

By Choice or By Force

On “Murda Man,” Pastor Troy spits venom toward Atlanta rivals Lil’ Jon and Lil’ Scrappy, and states his declaration of purpose: “I represent the anger / I represent the real / I represent the danger / I represent the cars / I represent the dream / I represent respect / I'm representin’ my team.” Fire and fury emanates from By Choice or By Force, the 13th album by this indomitable and ultra-prolific Southern favorite. Spouting a life philosophy that consists of little more than wrath and determination, Troy puts our head in his scope and pulls the trigger on songs like “Who Do I Trust” and “Twenty Six.” He tackles relationships (“Partner In Crime,” “Down For Life”) and dedicates a passel of songs to the strip club (“I Like All That,” “Pop a Few Bottles,” “Drop That A**”), but he is undeniably at his best when his subject is his own fearsome persona. “I’m a Shark In the Water” might be the most succinct metaphor for Troy’s style, but “I Represent This,” with its hellish groans, forms the pulpit from which the Pastor howls his most hair-raising sermon.

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