AMG Review of LB IV Life [Clean]

Steve Huey
All Music Guide

During the recording of LB IV Life, Lost Boyz rapper Freaky Tah was shot and killed by a lone gunman while leaving a party at the Sheraton Hotel in Queens, NY. The tragedy casts a shadow over the album (whether the material addresses it or not), lending a weightier tone even to some of the slighter tracks. As with any Lost Boyz album, there is still some inconsistency in terms of material -- which is especially understandable here, given the circumstances surrounding the album's recording. But for the most part, LB IV Life delivers the deeply funky goods -- it is a bittersweet testament to Freaky Tah's memory, and proof that the group can carry on in his absence. [LB IV Life was also released in a "clean" version, containing no profanities, vulgarities, or obscenities.]