Usually on an M.O.P. album, you get the following: The Brooklyn duo of Lil’ Fame and Billy Danze clutching mics, rapping hardcore rhymes and themes with emotional intensity, and gritty east coast production. The crew who gave us classics like “Ante Up” and “Blood, Sweat, & Tears” have continued to release their mosh pit-style of raps since their 1996 debut without missing a beat. But this isn’t about M.O.P., it’s Billy Danze who’s taking center stage. Reuniting with Swiss producer TooBusy, “The Answer” is both Billy’s second solo album and second to be entirely produced by TooBusy. Largely consisting of cameos and guest appearances, Billy leads only two solo tracks of the sixteen total. An awfully pensive album, “The Answer” stands in sharp contrast to high energy Danze usually radiates.
After a short intro, the title-track begins the album. Lady Lee lends her vocals to the hook and Danze’s verses are comprised of “grown man raps”—bars with introspection and experience from hindsight, lessons essentially. “Got Time”, Danze lampshades his change of tone here when he raps “Normally I advocate for the streets, but I ain’t here to give you what you want.” It also features a guest verse from Jadakiss who drops his own brand of knowledge. Up next is “Brooklyn Confidential”, the first Danze solo track with TooBusy lacing some musing piano keys with 808 snares and atmospheric vocals throughout. Lyrically, Danze is talking to the current generation of rappers and how G.O.A.T. statuses are given out like candy. At this point, it’s clear that the album is one of substance, not one of wilding out for no reason. But that doesn’t stop Danze from engaging in braggadocious rhymes, like on “Let It Be” which features Cypress Hill’s B-Real on the hook. “Gotham Part 2” features Ghostface Killah and TooBusy provides the kind of vintage urban soul that’s right up Tony Starks’ alley:
“Beginnings” is “brought to you by…some niggas you prefer to be” such as Danze and Busta Rhymes, who begins his verse by mentioning how they’re giving the gospel, a nod to TooBusy’s church-influenced production. This is taken further on “Blessings and Prayers”, as Danze stresses to listeners to believe in themselves despite setbacks and naysayers. “For You” is a soulful cut with boom-bap drum programming featuring both Styles P. & Pharoahe Monch. The only gripe I have about this track is that Monch is relegated to singing the hook, he would’ve tore this track up if allowed a verse. Evidence (Mr. Slow-Flow) makes an appearance on “Hope”, joining Danze in dispelling the often-touted notion that hip-hop is dead. Conway the Machine joins Danze on “What If”, a reflection on hindsight. Though Danze raps “there’s nothing more lame than saying we ain’t got regrets”, it’s Conway’s verse which is more poignant:
“Maverick” starts with a haunting vocal sample of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” and features Inspectah Deck. An ode to the independent minded, the Rebel INS and Danze spit verses praising their ability to think outside of the box. On “The Fix”, Danze says he’s no leader, but he’s the one who’s willing and able to step up. His partner-in-rhyme Lil’ Fame appears on “In Case You Forgot”, joining Danze in reminding competition that M.O.P. is still here. Redman appears on “Win or Lose” with his trademark pop culture-references and outlandish boasts. On the album closer, “No Losses”, Danze describes a betrayal before concluding “There’s no love lost ‘cause it was never none there.” TooBusy’s production for the second half of the album is like Jay-Z’s Blueprint period with its soul-sampling backdrops. Overall, “The Answer” is a superior outing to Danze’s 2020 debut, “The Listening Sessions”. The production is better and Danze shows a stronger pen game, proving he doesn’t need to yell at the mic to get his point across.