...since I last listened to it.

>What was the reception of this joint when it dropped?

It was considered a disappointment. The general consensus was that they were behind the times and that lyrically and musically it didn't even come close to the material from their hey day.

Personally, I know I was disappointed at the time. I'd liked "Greatest Misses," but it seemed like they were flailing with this one. I mean, their production really was never the same when the Bomb Squad "broke up." The production team that did Apocalypse '91 held thing together, but I remember feeling like the beats on this were a mess. And on the mic, it really felt like Chuck D was complaining rather than being forward thinking.

And honestly, too much of seemed centered on them complaining about the hip-hop press. I'm aware that's a strange complaint, considering how much of "It Takes a Nation..." (my favorite album ever) is built around them being pissed at the Village Voice and other publications, but here they were complaining about bad reviews from publications that once championed them. And that came off like sour grapes.

>When’s the last time you let it rock?

I will concede that it's been at least 15 years (maybe more) since I listened to it, so it may sound better now.

I will say that the "He Got Game" soundtrack is still a very good album, and an underrated bounce back.