I didn't listen to a lot of rap when I was growing up, so I always feel a little out of my element when asked to judge or comment on it. It's not that I'm not willing to do it, just that I acknowledge that I'm not familiar with the history or form of it, so any opinion I have is somewhat limited.
That being said, there was a lot in this album that I really enjoyed, and a lot that doesn't fit in with the stereotypes that rap usually gets hung with. TSOL feels like a personal reflection that Shad's making on his life, and as a result it's humble, reflective, and spiritual, with healthy doses of sarcasm and self-deprecation peppered throughout it. Shad has clearly put a lot of himself into this album, and while it may at times seem to be rather patchwork and heavily produced (which, given that there were eight different producers working on different songs, is a fair claim), it's still clear that all those songs are presenting facets of the same author.
The end result is something very complex and interesting. Shad raps about racism and politics, about gender inequality and the negative effect it has on the rap scene, but also is someone who feels at home rapping about Green Lantern and “spelling out BOOBIES on the calculator.” Being able to balance those serious subjects with humour without detracting from either takes a lot of talent and experience; Shad might be a young man, but he's got an old soul, and it shows throughout the album.
Standout track: Rose Garden, which is also the first single off the record, has a nice, soulful backbeat that balances well with Shad's rhymes.
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