Burrrprint (2) HD

Album Review

Meant to help fans through a Gucci-less 2010 as the mush-mouthed rapper spends 12 months in prison for parole violation, Burrrprint 2 HD is a surprisingly satisfying mixtape that’s as live and street sounding as it should be in spite of being on a major label. Asylum allows Gucci and DJ Holiday plenty of freedom as all of the shout-outs, IDs, skits, and strange edits found on underground mixtapes are also here. Add to that the kind of high-profile tracks you’d find on an official release and it’s even more desirable, especially when the key track, “Atlanta Zoo,” rolls around with a shockingly intelligible Gucci (“But my gun will stop an elephant/It’s like Atlanta Zoo”) teaming with punchline king Ludacris (“My partner pushin’ more crack than a bike seat”). It’s paced well, the interludes are placed just right, and there are even some new rhymes from the incarcerated Gucci delivered over the phone. The fidelity of these jail-sourced vocals is a letdown, but for fans, this in-between release is a feast as filling, over-the-top, and as ghetto fabulous as the culinary spread featured on the cover.