Follow Me Home has set a new standard for the genre.

The critical acclaim is beginning to build for the Watts MC and his surprisingly different debut album. XXL took Follow Me Home straight to its ratings system for a look at what made the album so spectacular. The final verdict was an XL rating, a very strong and nearly perfect rating according to XXL. Praising Jay’s ability to flip his words, the review notes:

“It’s this song, and more so ‘Just Like Me,’ that differentiates Follow Me Home from a typical release from a rapper telling tales of life in the streets. Taking a step away from the gruff talk that marks most of the album, the track is a socio-cultural critical analysis of life in the ghetto and within gang culture. The dark key strokes and jazzy, crying horns set the stage for bars like, “It’s just a thought but don’t stress it man/Just know somebody momma out there suffering/Because she lost her baby to a stray bullet/Fell victim from all this gang shootin’.”

As one of XXL‘s 2010 Top 10 Freshmen, Jay Rock has grown into one of the New West’s strongest artists. It’s becoming very clear why XXL chose Jay Rock to grace their cover in 2010.

Click here to read the full review.

Click here to purchase Follow Me Home on iTunes.