Jim Jones sophomre effort Harlem: Diary Of A Summer truefully is better than his previous On My Way To Church, but unfortunately it falls short of many expectations.

Lets start off with the good first. Jim Jones thought that he could come with a more mainstream appealing on this album which works in a sucessful way (thats why I bought this). The second single "Summer In Miami" is actually a good song that features Tray Songz. The song "Honey Dip" come off nice and will guarantee to move some butts inside of a club. Jim Jones stepped his rhymes up a tad bit in the intro "My Diary" which works in the winning side.

Now the bad parts of this album are also consistant. "J.I.M.M.Y." would have been a nice song if the annoying high pitched sounding title wasn't said a various parts. I said Jim Jones stepped is rhymes up on some songs, but he shows lack of improvement in others such as "Baby Girl" and "What Is This", both also suffering from weak hooks. Actually a lot of songs could have been good if it wern't for sorry hooks. "Ride With Me" would fall into this category, as well as terrible singing by Denise Weeks in the song "I'm in Love With A Thug". "We Just Ballin" is considered a halfassed first take of trying to make a club track, as the whole song comes off terrible. "Tupac Joint" is a joke with lack luster gangstafied production. Why is the song titled that questions me, because the only somewhat connection it has to Tupac is former Outlaw member Hussein Fatal. No verse or snippet from Tupac anywhwere, not to mention Fatal's rhymes wern't as good either.

As you see, this album is a step up from his first, but still sufferes from medicoricy. It seems as Jim Jones was doing a good job as it starts off, but it falls apart after about 15 minutes later, with good songs mixed in with some horrible songs pulling the album down. Guest appearances are wack. 40 Cal couldn't have said a stupider rhyme in "Tupac Joint" (Why ya act like I'm new to this?/Mack to the uzi clip/When it comes to beef, we all packed like Luis Rich/Battlin' is ludacris, half of ya uterus/Matter fact, Jimmy, pass me the Kufi List..." he gets worse as it goes on) another reason why this album isn't a 4 star album. Truefully I'm trying to decide whether I should throw in the towel on this one. Halem: Diary Of A Summer isn't all bad but theres major room for improvement. It's actually the best Dip Set album I've heard as of today, since I purchased this when it was first released. Jim Jones will have to come off better the next time around, because this one falls short of being certified gangsta status. I recommend this to Dip Set fans only.

Since most of the albums are dual discs, the DVD side is okay as it plays the videos "Summer In Miami" and "Baby Girl b/w G's Up" from this album and "Crunk Muzik" (another medicore song) from the last album. If you don't have the DVD side, you're aren't missing anything.

Lyrics: C+

Production: C+

Guest Appearances: D

Overall: C

Favorite Tracks: My Diary, Honey Dip, Summer In Miami

A few more things:

1. If you people think that that song "What You Been Drinkin On" is at least somewhat decent, either:

A. you've been locked in a 4x4 foot box for 10 years, or

B. just plain deaf & stupid

2. For all of you who are crying about Cam'ron's absance, I for one am thankful he isn't on this album, because he could have easily made this CD a decoration for my wall or a drink coaster.

Jim Jones' first alblum: On my way to Church was a hot alblum, but this is the next level. Its a mixed bag of beats and rhymes, a little more eclectic compared to his first alblum, but a powerful record. Its got something for everyone, dipset is the next to blow, forget these other crews, these guys got the game on smash.

Although I didn't expect too much from Jimmy Jones on "On My Way To Church," I must say I was apalled when I did finally hear it. Thankfully, his second time at bat is a little better than the first, but it still falls short of the mark. Perhaps I'm biased, but I can't get over the Diplomats/Heatmakerz connect from the first "Diplomatic Immunity" album, and that fire is missing from all their subsequent releases.

The first song is aight, but the chick Denise Weeks on the hook...geez, I found myself thinking, "Would somebody please shut that b**** up!" The fourth song, "J.I.M.M.Y." features another (in my opinion) retarded sped-up vocal, reminiscent of the one found on "S.A.N.T.A.N.A.'s Town" on Diplomatic Immunity 2.

Something else, I hate it when the Dips try to do down south music, like "Honey Dip" and "What You Been Drankin On?", which features that trick Jha Jha (man, she's ANNOYING!!). The latter song was stolen by Paul Wall who saves it. (East coasters, leave the southern spittin to us.) "Ride Wit Me" has one of the laziest hooks I've heard in a minute; with Juelz on the hook, I think we expect better from him. "I'm In Love with A Thug" is pretty dumb too with Denise Geeks ruining the chorus again.

I know I've been raggin on the album so far but here are the bangers to me: "G's Up", "What Is This", "Penintentiary Chances" (even though Jones gets off beat really bad on parts), "We Just Ballin", "Harlem" (YES!!), "Confront Ya Babe", "Baby Girl", and "Summer wit Miami", the latter being hands down the best song (lifting the Isley Bros. "Between the Sheets" sample). The "Tupac Joint" with Fatal Hussein was aight but could've been left off. It lifts Scarface's "Homies & Thuggs, remix" beat, and Hussein has clearly lost his skills over the years as apparent on the track.

Overall, if you can find it used, "Harlem: Diary of A Summer" definitely has some bangers on it. But it's about half n half: don't expect the whole thing to jam. I mean c'mon, it's Jim Jones: he's one heck of a businessman, but he's no rapper.

Jim Jones new album, Harlem: Diary of a Summer, is hands down one of the best albums I have purchased in a while. While I am a die hard diplomats fan, I felt that Jim Jones was always the weakets in the crew. After this album, that was easily put to rest. He has evolved into a lyricist, and my respect has soared for this artist. The beats on this album are ridiculous, and Jim is starting to buzz a little bit, and it is well deserved. The Diplomats are the most well rounded crew in music, and this is another album that contributes to their all out movement the EVERYBODY needs to get in tune with. Go cop this one.

2005 Harlem: Diary of a Summer is a decent album. I cant give it 5 stars because Cam'Ron wasn't on any of the songs. Top 5 Harlem, G's Up, Penitentiary Chances, Baby Girl, and J.I.M.M.Y.