As a longtime member of Atlanta's {\hip-hop} community, {$Yung Joc} watched his neighbor {$Young Jeezy} blow up while he waited on the sidelines. {@Bad Boy South} CEO {$Diddy} watched from a different angle since his label was home to {$Jeezy}'s first group, {$Boyz N da Hood}, and yet he lost the boy to {@Def Jam}. There's no doubt {$Jeezy}'s style and success were major influences on {$Joc}'s {@Bad Boy South} debut, {^New Joc City}. Those influences are audible, and the parts of the album that don't sound like {$Jeezy}'s breakthrough, {^Let's Get It}, sound a heck a lot like another Atlanta hit, {$T.I.}'s {^King}. Put the {@Bad Boy} polish to the two albums and you're close to {^New Joc City}, although the {\club} tracks here are much more hooky, pleasingly more slick. {&"It's Goin' Down"} with {$Nitti} is the key track, a simple, familiar-sounding bit of Southern weekend music that withstands numerous replays. The rowdy {&"Do Ya Bad"} and {&"I Know You See It"} are more of the same, while {&"Hear Me Coming"} goes in a different direction and borrows {$G-Unit}'s attitude and production style. {$Joc}'s skills are solid enough in these safe and tested surroundings, but he's less convincing when delivering a swaggering {\ballad} or attempting {$Jeezy}-type storytelling, like on {&"Dope Boy Magic."} He doesn't sound comfortable with all these concessions to what's hot, and the album as a whole suffers from an identity crisis. With plenty of hooks and great beats, it's a solid album for {@Bad Boy South}, but here's hoping {$Joc} brings his own style next time. [{^New Joc City} was also made available in a clean version, with all explicit material removed.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide