Review #363: Mouse On Tha Track & Lil' Cali "Just Because: The Mixtape"

Reviewed on 12.14.2009 (Review #363)

Time for… ANOTHA review!! What else would I be doin’, ya dig?!? I know I got finals tomorrow but I’m pretty good fa dat!! It’s ya boy FrankieThaLuckyDog here and I ‘bout ta get into a very anticipatin’ project from two rappers: Lil’ Cali & Mouse!! They gon do it REAL BIG wit their Just Because mixtape!! I heard tha actual song, “Just Because,” on DJ 5150’s NO To The BR (Louisiana Bound) mixtape recently and tha song went REAL HARD, ya dig!! DEFINITELY a HUGE catchy song fa tha ’10!! And now that I just ate dinner, I gon review this REALLY anticipatin’ project!!! Here goes my review fa Mouse On Tha Track & Lil’ Cali Just Because (The Mixtape) (Hosted by Str8 Jacket Ent.)!!! It’s cool dat we got a Mouse project ‘cause almost two years ago, I was like, “If Savage & Mouse did a WHOLE CD togetha, it would be REAL, REAL TIGHT!!!” Although I was sayin’ dat in a double producer perspective, either way, it’s Lil’ Cali & Mouse so I gotta give two Louisiana boyz props fa collaboratin’ together!! Start Time: 8:54 PM | End Time: 10:19 PM

Quick Note: I rate each song from 1.0 – 5.0. Each rating iz my own opinion!! I only please myself with my ratings!! I don’t care how lyrical you are! As long as it’s jammin’ enough for me to like it! I look for beats, then vocals, and then lyrics. To determine my favorites, I will differ tha 4.0 ratings (if a song gets at least a 4.0 rating from me, I love it already. If at least a 4.6 rating, I pretty much REALLY LOVE it as it’s considered “mindblowin’” when I hear it) so any song can earn up to a maximum of a 5.0 rating. Anything I type before “ >>> ” iz what I’m sayin’ before I listen to tha song. Anything after I type “ >>> ” iz what I think of tha song while I’m listening to it.

© 2009 CD Review by FrankieThaLuckyDog. Other than tha main artist or affiliated people with tha main artist, this review iz to not be used in anyone else’s words!

01. “How U Like Me Now” Feat. Wissel

I think he spells his name as “el” and not “le” (accordin’ ta his MySpace). Anyway, it’s Mr. A-One a.k.a. Dat Boy A a.k.a. Wissel a.k.a. Young True (outta G-Lane)’s cousin on tha feature here, ya dig!! This should be a REAL, REAL GR8 startin’ song!!! >>> I like tha sample fa this in tha beginning (wit tha title) (it sounds like Lil’ Keke almost)! :tu Cool beat here and Mouse, you’re on tha 1^st verse here, spittin’ this Rap shit fa tha streetz! Gotta luv tha EXTREME Louisiana accent here wit tha voice, ya dig!! Nice job wit tha 1^st verse and Cali sounds cool on tha hook! :tu Tha 2^nd verse iz from Cali this time and he all about his jewelz! Pretty good job wit tha 2^nd verse. Here comes tha 3^rd verse from Wissel! LOL, gotta luv how he randomly appears on peoples’ tracks and all dat good shit!! He on tha Cali level wit tha shit he spittin’ about (feelin’ what he got) and towards tha 2^nd ½ of tha 3^rd verse of his, he spittin’ some street shit like Mouse! Glad he combined both tha 1^st and 2^nd verse inta his own!! My Rating: 4.5

02. “Just Because”

Oooooooooooooooh!!! Shit yea!!! REAL GLAD ta hear it tha 1^st time and now I gon hear it tha 2^nd time!! And here’s what I said about it: I was ‘bout ta say, lol @ tha hook!! It sounded cool and when I heard tha title, it just made me luv Mouse’s voice more!! LMAO @ how he said tha title!!! :tu Tha 1^st verse from Mouse sounds like it’s DEFINITELY tha shit to tha fullest!!! REAL, REAL GR8 flow here!!! ROFL @ his flow and these lyrics!! They’re just EXTREMELY catchy and so iz this song!!! Lil’ Cali iz on tha 2^nd verse and he does his own thang on this joint too. This’ll be prolly a HUGE one fa ’10 fa me since I’ll prolly add it real soon!! My Current Rating: 4.8

03. “On Some Other Shit”

Ooh, I like tha attitude fa this title right here!!! I DEFINITELY gon look REAL FORWARD ta this one and prolly REALLY luv it!!!!! >>> Tha beat sounds cool fa a start and tha beat kickin’ in like a Beat Flippa style!! Tha hook came on when tha beat started ta pick up and it’s cool; DEFINITELY luv this Louisiana shit to tha fullest!!! Interestin’ conversation wit tha questions in tha 1^st verse as well as Mouse rappin’ here and there! DEFINITELY cool ta have a back ta back conversation flowin’ wit Mouse on tha 1^st verse!! Let’s see what Cali has ta offer on tha 2^nd verse… Reppin’ fa tha “bottom of tha map” here and luvin’ his “kush” to tha fullest! :tu He held it down once again fa his verse on tha song; glad y’all worked togetha fa this REALLY gr8 project!!! My Rating: 4.4

04. Skit #1

Ooh again, lol! I didn’t expect a skit ta be on here but I DEFINITELY gon look forward ta it, ESPECIALLY if Mouse sayin’ somethin’ on it!!! >>> LMAO!! :rofl Yup!! *Cracks smile* Luv tha “oh, WAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” :tu Was that Lil’ Cali afta that? I couldn’t exactly tell between tha voices but I’m sure that was Cali. But anywayz, DEFINITELY a cool skit!! My Rating: N/A

05. “We Don’t Give A Fuck” Feat. Na’Tee & Kevin Gates

OMG, look @ tha length here!!! We got a WHOPPIN’ 5:40 on tha length and an interestin’ collaboration here!! Looks like this gon be a RAW, LYRICAL joint!!! >>> Speakin’ of a cool sample from tha 1^st song, you KNOW this gets a plus fa havin’ tha Youngbloodz “Damn!” sample in tha hook; DEFINITELY feelin’ it!!! Now, we got Cali on tha 1^st verse here, spittin’ some gangsta shit here! Cali went hard on this shit and really gave it a nice effort!! It’s GR8 ta have tha attitude of “not givin’ a fuck!” :tu Looks like Mouse iz on tha 2^nd verse (based off his “wahhhhhh” before tha 2^nd verse)!! Shit yea, he DEFINITELY has prolly tha coolest voice fa this shit; it’s SUCH a standout!!! Spittin’ some gangsta and gutta shit here to tha fullest!! GR8 flow here too on this REAL GR8 joint!!! What would tha streetz be like without Mouse? Mouse doin’ it BIG fa a bunch of these artists on tha come up!!! Let’s see tha raw sounds of Na’Tee on tha 3^rd verse… She more gutta than raw here on tha 3^rd verse, doin’ tha damn thang here. All tha lyrics are gettin’ gangsta now; REAL NICE verse here!! Even down ta tha “vegetables” part; CRAZY!!! :tu Let’s see what we got from Gates on tha 4^th verse… He comin’ through pretty good for tha start of it. He DEFINITELY has tha street shit on lock here; gotta luv tha “electric chair me” line!! :tu Just like Na’Tee cookin’ thangz up on her verse, Gates REALLY cookin’ it up fa tha dudes ta relate to!! True gangsta shit here; 100%!!! My Rating: 4.7

06. “Bust A Bottle Open”

Gotta luv these titles!! Who would’ve guessed what some of these would be called? GR8 SHIT!!! >>> LOL, I hear Young MC and his “bust it” sample here. I heard his sample on a song not too long ago but this song DEFINITELY sounds much betta!!! Gotta luv tha “loaded” type of beat Mouse produced here (where it sounds like you’re in a daze)! Tha hook iz DEFINITELY REAL catchy wit tha title repeatin’ so much!!! :tu Who wouldn’t pop somethin’ ta this?!? Afta a lil’ past 50 seconds, Mouse iz here fa tha 1^st verse!! DEFINITELY sum gr8 “stomach feelin’” lyrics here, on a HUGE club vibe!! DEFINITELY some catchy-ass shit spit in tha 1^st verse ta give your stomach various feelings!!! Here comes tha 2^nd verse from Cali, wit more “nuttin’” lyrics, lol!! Cool verse from Cali as he kept it on Mouse’s level ta enjoy a “bottle bustin’ open!” Cool beat endin’ too! My Rating: 4.3

07. “Catchin’ Sells (Cash Me Out)”

Ooh, a double title!! This should DEFINITELY be interestin’ and fa bettin’, I’d DEFINITELY bet, win and “cash out” on it before I even hear it!!! >>> I like this beat betta than tha last one fa a start; GR8 soundin’!!! Should tha title be “Catchin’ Sales” rather than “Sells?” Either way, it’s cool fa what it iz; DEFINITELY a hustla’s hook!! :tu Cali’s on tha 1^st verse here, spittin’ some “vs. tha jiggalator” type of lyrics. You’re goin’ against tha jiggalators, doin’ it big, Cali! Nice job on tha 1^st verse and I’m glad you even contribute a lil’ to tha hook too! Here’s tha 2^nd verse from Mouse, spittin’ some cool “cash” shit here!! Mouse NEVA broke so he DEFINITELY stacks his money to tha fullest!! Tha “marijuana” shit at around 2:37 shit sounded cool ta hear; DEFINITELY on a raise here wit this hustlin’ shit!! :tu My Rating: 4.6

08. Skit #2

LOL, anotha skit!! Lookin’ forward ta hearin’ this one too!!! >>> It’s Cali this time fa tha start! LOL @ tha “streetz hoppin’ like a pogo ball” part! Glad you fuckin’ wit Mouse BIG time!!! My Rating: N/A

09. “Get Off My Nuts”
:rofl !!! :rofl LOOKIN’ FORWARD TA THIS ONE ESPECIALLY WIT THA ATTITUDE OF THA TITLE AGAIN!!!!! >>> Anotha REAL COOL beat fa a start; GOTTA LUV Mouse’s beats!!! Check out tha new Lil’ Boosie commercial I made fa SuperBad: The Return Of Boosie Bad Azz; it’s on YouTube (just type in “Lil’ Boosie SuperBad Commercial” in tha search bar on YouTube); Mouse, you’re in it! ;) Tha hook was cool and it’s DEFINITELY correct when it comes to tha dickriders!! Good shit right here to tha fullest!!! Cali’s on tha 1^st verse and he even shows luv ta Mouse wit tha “I be all in tha mirror like Mouse” line (referrin’ ta “Rubbin’ On My Head”)!! I hear tha hook again for tha 2^nd time and it’s REAL CRAZY, ESPECIALLY wit Mouse’s “WAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” It almost sounds like you’re givin’ emotions when it comes ta people bein’ on yo nuts too much, Mouse, lol!! Speakin’ of me talkin’ ‘bout Mouse, he’s on tha 2^nd verse here and he spittin’ some real shit here about havin’ too many people communicatin’ wit him! Good shit ta be anti-social!! My Rating: 4.7

10. “Paint Don’t Slip” Feat. DJ B-Real & Q-Red

Looks like a cool title, nearly remindin’ me of tha “Ice Cream Paint Job” one; let’s see what tha deal iz!! >>> Tha beat iz more smooth here fa tha ride; nice vibe! Still keepin’ it good wit tha Mouse beat and tha sample in tha hook once again! DEFINITELY makin’ this CD REAL consistent here!! Tha 1^st verse from Cali iz here and he seein’ all kindsa colors here wit all tha thingz he rappin’ ‘bout (from “bowlin’” ta “Bingo” ta his cars); catchy-ass shit here!! Here’s tha 2^nd verse from Mouse, havin’ his shit “from tha roota to tha toota.” He said, “like *someone else*,” but I say, “like Field Mob,” lol. I like how he stayin’ fresh wit his “Rubbin’ On My Head” “tha mirror” quote! :tu I also like his “glaze/shay-e-ades” part at 2:46 & 2:49!! DEFINITELY a catchy delivery there!! My Rating: 4.5

EDIT: I think that’s a sample, but based off hearin’ tha hook before it ended, I remembered just now dat my boy Beezy Bird was singin’ this song ta me on tha phone tha otha day! He told me, “Did you check out dat new Lil’ Cali & Mouse mixtape?” I told him, “Not yet,” and he went and sung this song ta me; REAL GOOD shit!! Also, I had found out in 2013 from a B-Real YouTube comment that B-Real & Q-Red did tha hook, here, but are uncredited.

½time: STR8 FIRE!!!!! I couldn’t have asked fa anything BETTA than Mouse & Lil’ Cali teamin’ up together!!! It’s just tha dumb way, Baton Rouge style in many different cool topics!!! Tha average CD rating iz SKY-HIGH: A WHOPPIN’ 4.6!!!! That’s DEFINITELY watz good fa a mixtape that’s DOIN’ THA DAMN THANG!!!!! Mouse, keep these collaboration projects comin’ fa tha future!!! :tu

11. “High Definition”

That’s how I come through when I make my commercials and anything now: HD, ya dig!! This should be a REAL CATCHY joint from y’all once again, ya heard me!! >>> Who really produced this beat? It sounds like they have “tight, tight, tight” in their beat backgrounds. Anyway, tha beat iz DEFINITELY watz good and tha hook CAN’T BE DENIED!!! DEFINITELY can feel y’all in “HD” here to tha fullest; REAL COOL hook wit tha 2^nd ½ bein’ tha typical Baton Rouge formula of GR8 repetitiveness!!! Tha 1^st ½ of tha 1^st verse was Mouse bein’ a cool cat and tha 2^nd ½ of tha 1^st verse iz Cali spittin’ his cool side. Gotta luv tha “WAHHHHHHH!!!” from ANYONE!!! :tu Tha 2^nd verse here iz from… no source? It was pretty good fa what it was… What? Anotha mysterious dude on tha 2^nd ½ of tha 2^nd verse? Good fa what it was but not as catchy as how Mouse comes through! Either way, props fa mysteriously appearin’, lol! My Rating: 4.6

12. Skit #3

Ooh, anotha one, although only nine seconds long… >>> LOL, it’s Mouse and his “Ric Flair” shit!!! :tu When they brought it up in tha last song, I had a feelin’ dat “Ric Flair” was gonna be on here too!! It’s prolly next!! My Rating: N/A

13. “Ric Flair” Feat. Young Dro

Looka here!! I didn’t think that this GR8 collaboration would lead ta this GR8 mixtape!!! What I originally said was: Mouse beat here and it sounds pretty anticipatin’; he even “wahhhhh”in’ in tha beginning. He doin’ his thang on tha hook; one of tha BIGGEST/BEAT beasts on tha hooks!!! Cali’s on tha 1^st verse here and I like how his voice iz slightly different from otha mixtapes. Plus, his music sounds pretty GOOD once again compared to all those odd female songs in tha past!! Nice job on tha 1^st verse, Cali; tore it up!! Here comes Young Dro on tha 2^nd verse here, soundin’ good on this too. He luvs his “ruby red polo,” lol! Catchy flow on his verse which makes it pretty consistent for this song. Let’s see what we got for tha 3^rd verse… It a Mouse verse and he always sounds great on tha mic! LOL @ tha “well, FUCK IT!!” part at 3:24! :rofl Nice job on tha verse, Mouse. Cali, you had tha best vesre on this song. My Current Rating: 4.4

14. Skit #4

Ewe, lol, anotha skit so fast!!! Glad this one iz 44 seconds, ya dig!! >>> That’s cool dat y’all promotin’ tha “Ric Flair!” I’m not sure if I’ll play it on my radio show ‘cause Young Dro iz a mainstream artist (I don’t play mainstream artists on my radio show except if it’s Boosie). But, there’s a BUNCH of gr8 songs on here like “Just Because” dat I would play in an INSTANT on my radio show, ya dig!! My Rating: N/A

15. “Rubbin’ On My Head” Feat. T Mck

:rofl ROLLIN’!!! :rofl Caliless here, lol!! REAL GLAD this one made it here too!!! I wanted “Just Because” ta be tha best song on this mixtape but this one TAKES THA CROWN EASILY!!! Once again, this iz a DEFINITE smash single here!!! Too bad people in tha mainstream ignore songs like these or get them really late!! It has ta be tha best mainstream Louisiana soundin’ song of tha year!! Gotta luv tha whole “rubbin’ on my head” term and tha whole “mirror, tha mirror” thang in tha 2^nd ½ of tha hook!! Mouse has such a REAL GR8/CATCHY flow wit how he raps; it’s REALLY GR8!!!!! Tha 2^nd verse iz DEFINITELY catchy to tha fullest, startin’ off wit all tha “a-ling” parts!!! I luv tha “mane, fuck all dat” part at 2:24; SUCH a Louisiana voice right there when it’s said!!! Gotta LUV Louisiana people TO THA FULLEST!!!!! :tu My Current Rating: 4.9

16. Skit #5

Ewe, lmao!! Gotta LUV how these skits keep comin’ outta nowhere!! No wonder why this CD iz less than an hour long! This skit prolly has ta do wit “Rubbin’ On My Head;” let’s see! >>> Sorry, but NO feedback at all ta what Mouse just said here!! When I get a payment from tha person Mouse mentioned in tha future (for a future commercial or anything), THEN I’ll reveal who Mouse was talkin’ about!! My Rating: N/A

17. “Merk” Feat. Chosen

LOL, looks like a REAL GOOD title here!! I have a feelin’ it’ll be on tha gangsta side; let’s see if I’m right!! >>> Pretty good beat start fa tha beginning. I hear tha hook now and it’s like anti-anger but if tha anti iz taken away, then “merkin’” comes inta play; gutta shit here!! Here’s tha 1^st verse from Cali and it’s soundin’ pretty gangsta wit tha lyrics and err-thang! Gr8 job, Cali!! I know Mouse doin’ a GR8 job wit tha hook here but how will he do wit a verse? Let’s see… Oh shit, a different dude on tha 2^nd verse; why iz there no source? :confused It sounds a lil’ like Reno Da Gutta but I’m sure it’s not him. Pretty good hook, regardless, but please, we need a source on who it iz!! Ooh, I caught tha voice before tha 3^rd verse of who it iz: Chosen of Da Gremlins!! Glad I know he’s featured on it and he “xanabarin’” through tha verse here, feelin’ all powered up!! :tu Cool verse from him as he been pretty consistent wit tha features and all dat, ya dig! My Rating: 4.5

18. Skit #6

:rofl Again!! :tu >>> Yea, dat last song was “for tha streetz!” I was just ‘bout ta call your manager a “one hit wonder on tha phone” since she only answered fa me once and didn’t e-mail me back or nothin’. However, it was a 504 numba so it’s someone I neva talked to before. I hope I get some sense through her although I feel pretty unlike wit female managers… My Rating: N/A

19. “Killin’ These Niggas” Feat. Doe-Doe & DJ B-Real

Based off tha ID and tha 4:50 length, I almost feel like there would be featured people on here that are not listed. Will my intentions be correct? Let’s take a look at this anticipatin’ joint!! >>> LOL @ tha “fight” intro wit tha laughin’ in tha beginning! This was perfect fa around Halloween time!! LOL, tha WHOLE HOOK went hard!!!!! I had ta rewind it!! I like tha “Sub-Zero” part (Mortal Kombat it reminded me of), tha title and tha “diarrhea shittin’” part KILLED IT!!!!! :tu Tha 1^st verse from Mouse here and tha flow iz REAL GR8!!! Gotta luv when tha flow iz just OVA-THA-TOP catchy!!!!! Tha whole verse held it down and I luv how tha beat has multiple changin’ styles!!! Even kept it more on tha Mortal Kombat style wit “blowin’ kisses like Sonya” and tha “fatality” before tha 2^nd hook; REAL TIGHT here!!! LOL, who would’ve guessed wrong? I was correct about an unsourced featured artist bein’ on tha song; they’re on tha 2^nd verse here! Since tha last song had one of Da Gremlins in it, I assume this iz one of Da Gremlins too? I don’t know exactly who it sounds like but it was DEFINITELY GR8!!! :tu Let’s see who has tha last verse here… It’s Cali and he has tha “shockin’” part of tha verse as he’s a “lightnin’ bolt!” *THUNDER SOUND* :tu I liked tha otha two verses betta but he held it down!! Mouse not only had such a REAL GR8 hook but had tha BEST verse here!!! My Rating: 4.8

EDIT: Had later found out that Doe-Doe’s on tha 2^nd verse & DJ B-Real’s uncredited on tha hook…

20. “Ain’t No Love”

Hope this can hold it down as tha last joint on this mixtape!! I didn’t even think a song was gonna be last but here we are, lol! >>> Of course, save tha different style fa last. At least it has a Southern beat in tha rhythm a lil’. Reminds me of Savage on tha hook here wit Mouse singin’ it. Good thing it’s catchy and sounds REAL GR8 for tha South here!! Cool shit and Cali iz on tha 1^st verse here, runnin’ from “tha cops” here fa this “love!” Pretty good verse from  you, Cali! You know how ta attract people wit your rhymes! Let’s see Mouse on tha 2^nd verse… Keepin’ his rhythm up wit his singin’! Sounds like pretty good “luvable” rhymes for tha 2^nd verse when it comes ta upcomin’ thingz. I like tha “tryna put some golds on my daughter” line; you KNOW you got a pimped out daughter, Mouse, lol! My Rating: 4.1

21. “Work Dat Lumba” Feat. Lil’ Chrissa & Lil’ Doom

Ooh, a bonus fa me! When One-i uploaded it fa WOS, this song wasn’t included so I’m listenin’ to it thanx ta DatPiff! Speakin’ of DatPiff, “Ain’t No Love” iz listed as Song #1 and tha rest are bumped down one spot, makin’ this Song #21. With its title, I KNOW this gon be a GR8 one!! Finally, some sourced featured artists too!! >>> You KNOW this shit iz DEFINITELY catchy wit tha good beat!! I almost thought I heard this one otha time ‘cause I hear Mouse sayin’ “one hit wonda;” I rememba dat part from somewhere… Either way, it’s DEFINITELY catchy!! Tha 1^st verse from one of tha featured dudes doin’ a pretty good job here; catchy shit from Lil’ Chrissa!! Lil’ Doom’s on tha 2^nd verse and he’s spittin’ some pretty typical lyrics at first. Typical verse but it flowed pretty good fa this mixtape! Talk about a short song only 2:28 long! Plus, it’s anotha Caliless song… My Rating: 4.3

Overall: Once again, a CD FULLA DAT HOT SHIT!!!!! Tha average CD rating remained tha same throughout tha WHOLE entire CD!!! Who would’ve thought “Rubbin’ On My Head” (tha only Caliless song) would top it all? But really, “Just Because” iz dat hot shit!!! Dat “Killin’ These Niggas” joint REALLY had it goin’ STRONG!!! Dat’s tha best gangsta song on this CD!!! My God, what a REALLY TIGHT project and I DEFINITELY wish y’all tha BEST luck in tha future!!!

Rankings (according to my ratings):

15.       “Ain’t No Love” 4.1

14.       “Work Dat Lumba” Feat. Lil’ Chrissa & Lil’ Doom 4.3

13.       “Bust A Bottle Open” 4.3

12.       “Ric Flair” Feat. Young Dro 4.4

11.        “On Some Other Shit” 4.4

10.       “How U Like Me Now” Feat. Wissel 4.5

09.       “Merk” Feat. Chosen 4.5

08.       “Paint Don’t Slip” Feat. DJ B-Real & Q-Red 4.5

07.       “Catchin’ Sells (Cash Me Out)” 4.6

06.       “High Definition” 4.6

05.       “Get Off My Nuts” 4.7

04.       “We Don’t Give A Fuck” Feat. Na’Tee & Kevin Gates 4.7

03.   “Killin’ These Niggas” Feat. Doe-Doe & DJ B-Real 4.8

02.   “Just Because” 4.8

01.   “Rubbin’ On My Head” Feat. T Mck 4.9

Average CD Review:

Total Score:              68.1

Total Songs:              / 15

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Average CD Rating:       4.5 (automatically a 5 star rated CD)