The title to Thaione Davis' ninth studio album "The Joys Of Life & Pain" truly sums up the story of the project. From the eagerness of adolescence, young adult struggles, to the balance of manhood in urban warfare, all delivered with just as much, if not more, passion and hunger as his previous. The kind exhibited when someone first come into the game. "Me, all I got is broke pockets with the ambition of a rocket. Heat seeking". Yet he is far from a rookie and there's undeniable growth and maturity, like that of a man who's walked through the fire, lived and not ashamed. Not big on comparing but many times as I listened, I likened his raw and honest lyrical delivery to the better moments of Tupac. And did I mention that all of the beats are HEATERS. A lot of grit, a lot of bang and a lil sum'nin for the "hey day" enthusiast. Neck brace required. From the rough and smooth, this is how hip hop was to evolve.