Like many of No Limit’s current and former soldiers, Silkk the Shocker is not the most talented of rappers. But that never stopped him from achieving platinum (Charge It 2 da Game) and even multi-platinum (Made Man) status. By the time the new millennium rolled around, however, many of No Limit’s hardcore fans were labeling many of their acts repetitive and even incapable of holding their own amongst the heavyweights.
These criticisms were not unwarranted, and with rappers like Silkk representing the Tank, I’m sure these criticisms seemed more than legitimate. But Master P knew his game plan from day one and he was going to make sure his No Limit soldiers – family included – stuck to it. While Silkk’s sophomore album, the excellent Charge It 2 da Game, was all but pitch-perfect product, its follow-up, Made Man, followed the No Limit formula to a “T.” Nonetheless, Silkk has always been one of No Limit’s flag bearers and expectations always seem to fall down on him to deliver a standout record.
Silkk is not the rapper that would leave talent scouts scrambling for their contacts, nor is he, topically, all that mature. What he is, however, is a solid rapper with an ear for catchy hooks with a charismatic demeanor. This was best exemplified on past releases rather than his recent work, but My World, My Way is not without its merits. More mature than past works and a bit more introspective as a whole, My World, My Way proves that there’s more going on in Silkk’s “world” (pun intended) besides guns, drugs, and thick women. The only problem is, without Beats by the Pound backing him in the production department, that signature No Limit sound would be noticeably A.W.O.L.
The most enjoyable moments, and it is readily evident, are those that are uncompromised by the mainstream. The trunk-rattling, bass-heavy “Na Na Na” and the gritty “Funny Guy” are perfect examples of where this album should have gone. The production supplied fits Silkk like a glove and gives him enough leverage to spit his lucid, verbose rhymes over. His flow may be one of the more unique that the game has heard, but he manages to weave it effortlessly throughout these two backdrops.
Other standouts include the grimy bass kicks of “Run” and the faux-fanfare of “Uh Ha.” Even though the backdrop consists of blaring synths and skittering drum patterns, Silkk and guest Slay Sean manage to make “Uh Ha” sound as menacing as humanly possible. The smoothed out “Pop Lockin’,” which features Snoop Dogg and Goldie Loc, is a standout as well. Soopafly’s production is nothing special, but the three rappers work the beat perfectly. The title track, “My World, My Way,” is a carbon-copy of any late-‘90s/early-‘00s DMX track, but Silkk flips it well even with a beat that wouldn’t sound out of place on X’s Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood.
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