Pray IV Reign JIM JONES   Label: Columbia Released: March 24, 2009 Reviewer: DJ Z In Killa Cam's absence and with the lack of any new Juelz product, Jim Jones has taken the chance to become the most high-profile Dipset member. The Harlemite has been all over radio stations, magazine covers and blogs discussing his new-found position, ongoing G-Unit beef, his relationship with - and, of course, the whereabouts of - Cameron Giles. Now he's teamed with Damon Dash, the Roc-a-Fella mogul's entrepreneurial spirit has clearly expanded Jim's already sizeable business portfolio - with this new album just one piece of a puzzle that includes ventures such as a theatre musical, an autobiographical documentary movie, a work-out DVD and even fronting Irish rock band Republic of Loose. After he followed his breakout 2006 hit We Fly High with last year's Ron Browz-produced auto-tune club monster Pop Champagne, you'd be forgiven for presuming this major label debut would be a set of back-to-back commercial darts with their target firmly set on the Billboard charts. Surprisingly, save perhaps a few moments like the palatable Juelz Santana and Oshy collabo Girlfriend and the mis-step that was the second single Na Na Nana Na Na (complete with insipid playground chorus), the album is actually quite dark and down-tempo, littered with thought-provoking tales of Jim's personal struggle, fast-life dealings and money-making antics set against a hardcore New York street backdrop. The most controversial track is the Isley Brothers-sampling Frienemies, a warning shot that you shouldn't necessarily trust the man standing next to you... a song which more than fuels the fire that Jones' relationship with Cam'ron could be more tarnished than we initially thought. It's a perfect new chapter in the on-going soap opera so many hip hop fans are eagerly tuning in for. The album's finest moments are the introspective My My My and Let It Out, which pair fascinating insights into his hustler lifestyle with producer Supa Dave West's Kanye-style synths, marching beats and gentle, melodic choruses. Sonically there are a number of formulaic R&B-laced tracks such as Blow the Bank and Precious, which he dedicates to "the sexy ladies," however the gyrating guitar, piano licks and Ne-Yo sound-alike hook from Ryan Leslie are as lightweight as Jones' suggestive rhymes. And there are a couple of cringeworthy explicit shock raps too - Medicine, utilising the kind of x-rated rhymes 2 Live Crew and NWA would have been proud of, and another R&B-tinged moment, This Is for My Bitches; which, although initially sounding like an innocent mid-tempo record from the late-90s, turns out lyrically to be a ladies' anthem of a kind you won't see Oprah supporting. Overall it's just an okay listen; an album that is hard to see appealing to the wider audience intrigued by Pop Champagne, but which certainly gives Dipset followers more glimpses into the world they crave deeper knowledge of. It's overlong at 16 tracks, and perhaps tries too many style changes, but the production quality remains consistent throughout, and Jones manages to hold it together well with his trademark drawl and lyrical drama.