I want to cream over J Live’s new EP the way I creamed over last year’s All of the Above, but I think this rhymesmith is capable of more than this new album’s plodding beats and blasĀ» horns. Vocally, J Live occasionally forays into Five Percenter lyrics, but lacks the flair of Wu-Tang Clan or Brand Nubian. Mostly, it sounds as though he’s been preoccupied by financial woes, which come to the fore on “Deal Widit” and “Car Trouble.” That’s real, but too familiar-I’d rather hear Hollow Tip rap about thug life.