Grade: C+ | “Return of the Mac’s” opening cut “The Mac is Back Intro” announces that this is a stronger, more refined recording than the flabby “Blood Money” released by Mobb Deep a year ago. Throughout the “Return of the Mac” album, sexy ‘70s-style beats, blaring horns and weeping strings effectively back up Prodigy’s tales of thug life and money, sometimes even taking over a track when Prodigy’s rhymes and flows become sub par and incoherent (“Mac 10 Handle”; “The Rotten Apple”).

When Prodigy is delivering the goods (“Stuck on You”; “Take It to the Top”), the album begins to sound similar to Jay-Z’s “The Dynasty Roc la Familia” – a funky collection of rhymes put over instrumentation that could be found on a Marvin Gaye or James Brown record.

The real star of “Return of the Mac” is producer The Alchemist, whose Shaft-approved beats give Prodigy’s lyrics about street life their ultimate gritty, grimy backdrop. Prodigy does not possess the smoothest delivery or widest vocabulary in hip-hop, but the Alchemist’s production takes most of the focus off any of the rapper’s shortcomings, forcing the listener instead to notice just how much the recording actually grooves, rather than the relentless pounding bass other production teams seem to favor.

Overall, “Return of the Mac” is a good record that lacks a truly talented MC who could put it over the top.