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Magic was always one of the more talented soldiers on Master P's once-mighty No Limit recording label. As with many of the label's artists, Magic never opted to rap about anything particularly substantial, but his gravel-voiced delivery, potent energy, and above average writing abilities placed him a cut above the rest. It must have been with great anticipation, then, that No Limit fans awaited the arrival of his first full-length, the aptly titled "Sky's the Limit."

Sky's the limit for what, exactly? Having a spot on the No Limit roster between early-'98/early-'99 virtually guaranteed a large fanbase and piles of cash. Maybe the sky was the limit for Magic's life - from the album's release date - onward. Perhaps it announced his arrival and, likewise, ability to live comfortably. Yes, the sky was the limit for Magic. He was signed to the premier (independent) Rap label of the mid-to-late '90s, backed by money-making Beats by the Pound production, and executive produced by a business mastermind (Master P). And with P's help, it almost guaranteed that if Magic didn't make waves in the mainstream, he would still go at least gold, as well as maintain a HUGE cult fan following elsewhere.

Magic's albums have always kind of defined what the current sound of No Limit is, from his debut, to his sophomore record, "Thuggin'," to his final long-player for No Limit (by that time they were known as The New No Limit), "White Eyes." "Sky's the Limit," however, delivered a sound that was very experimental for the Beats by the Pound crew. Some of the experimentation included the use of guitars, incorporating various sound effects INTO the music itself, sometimes even going as far making the beats slightly industrial. The money was longer by mid-'98 and BbtP were able to expand the sound of their patented drum-n-synth beats into something much heavier. That meant heavier drums, heavier bass, and heaving synths. The sound on many No Limit albums, particularly this one, sharply contrasted what was popular at the time.

The deep bass lines and skittering hi-hats had become a No Limit trademark by the time "Sky's the Limit" was released, but P's production crew were really starting to perfect their evolving craft here. Although variety doesn't seem to be No Limit's spice of life, the familiarity plays a large part in this record's sonic success. The production is consistent in delivering ONE sound; a very dark, menacing sound. BbtP play that to the hilt and deliver some of the best beats that have come out of the label's large catalog since.

But, again, this is a No Limit release, so expecting lyrics that greatly impact the listener are really out of the question. Magic is a solid rapper; charismatic and highly energetic, in fact. His flow is usually on-point as well, which is more than I can say for a handful of other ex-No Limit artists. Topics rarely deviate from common thug anthems of drug dealing, running from the cops, sometimes having sex with various women and the occasional introspective joint to bring everything full circle, though. Again, you're not listening to a No Limit album for variety in subject matter. These albums, however repetetive, are important because they perfectly exemplified dirty south gangsta rap at its most basic. No Limit's artists delivered unadulterated thugcore that was, at times, cartoonish, but surprisingly entertaining.

The guests here, considering that this is a No Limit release, are just as prominent as the rapper being featured. They are so prominent, in fact, that this almost feels like a No Limit artist sampler. Magic may be a strong rapper with limitless charisma, but after 21 songs (not including the Intro), it becomes tiresome. The guests are here to help pad out the playing time just as much as they are here to make the album that much easier to sit through. This isn't so much a Magic solo album as much as it is an album FEATURING Magic (and a lot of other No Limit rappers). But it does alleviate any problems there would have been listening to Magic drone on for 22 tracks by himself.

"Sky's the Limit" hasn't become as important to No Limit diehards as, say, Master P's "Ghetto D," Silkk the Shocker's "Charge It 2 da Game," Mystikal's "Unpredictable," Mr. Serv-On's "Life Insurance," or C-Murder's "Life or Death" have. It's a spectacularly solid listen that, while not bringing anything new to the No Limit table, is very familiar and that certainly counts for something in our world. Fans of Magic won't find a better solo LP from him. It really is too bad that the partnership between Magic, P, and C had to sour the way it did. After leaving the label, Magic also abandoned any kind of artistic credibility he once had. It's a shame, really. He'll probably never reach these heights again.

8/10