Tony Yayo was released from jail in early 2004, only to be sent back less than 24 hours later for stupidly presenting his parole officer with a forged passport, which raises the question: Do you really want to hear the thoughts of this “predicate felon”? G-Unit has continued to spread out its troops with the signing of Mobb Deep and Spider Loc, but perhaps too thin, with Yayo’s puddle-deep Thoughts of a Predicate Felon the result.

It isn’t enough to merely say that this album is bad, because it is well beyond that. Thoughts epitomizes everything that is wrong with hip-hop in 2005. Superficial lyricism, lack of originality, uninspired production — this CD has it all. With song titles ranging from “I’m So High” to “Love My Style,” Yayo is making no effort to give his tracks names that haven’t already been used by his G-Unit crew. Eminem and Obie Trice drop in for a guest spot on the single “Drama Setter,” a terrible song with an equally terrible beat produced by Eminem that uses a bassline almost identical to that of “Gattman & Robin.” Fitty and his boys attempt to come to the rescue on “So Seductive” and “I Know U Don’t Love Me,” two of the more palatable songs on the disc, but other songs such as “Project Princess,” and “Dear Suzie” do nothing more than induce nausea.

Enough was spent on the production of this album that there should be at least several good songs, but where Yayo didn’t piss away the money on awful beats, he ruins it with even worse rapping. Steel wool Q-Tips are easier on the ears.