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Dead-Fish Handshake

Sauce Money is at his best when he has dope tracks to rhyme on, which is why Middle Finger U fails to showcase Sauce Money at his best. Known for ghostwriting the Grammy-winning "I'll Be Missing You," Puff Daddy's tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G., Sauce Money finally emerges with a debut album three years later. However, uninspired production sinks the effort.

"Bring It On," from Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt (1996), had Sauce Money flowing nicely on a mellow beat concocted by DJ Premier of Gang Starr. But rarely on Middle Finger U does he connect with the production efforts of Mr. Rapture, Clark Kent and others.

However, the album is not a total wash. "What's That, Fuck That" (RealAudio excerpt) resurrects the production talents of old-timer Marley Marl, with a guitar loop on which Sauce Money drops the rawest verses of the album.

"Intruder Alert," (RealAudio excerpt), a lighthearted, bragging track on which Sauce Money gives a taste of his lyrical flavor, is not DJ Premier's finest track ever, yet it steps forward as one of the album's best.

The alternating bass and treble piano runs of "Pregame" (RealAudio excerpt) evoke a grimy underworld vibe as Sauce Money and Jay-Z trade rhymes. First heard on the "Belly" soundtrack, the song's only flaw is its regrettable brevity.

Sauce Money has talent, but Middle Finger U is ultimately more a dead-fish handshake than a middle finger to the world.

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