More than a decade after eviscerating MCs on his classic Black Moon recordings, Buckshot has settled into a comfortable middle age. Like a once-great boxer, his fearsome rap flow has slowed into a punchier cadence. On The Formula, Buckshot amiably dispenses wisdom and business strategies over 9th Wonder’s languid soul loops. He even admits on “No Future” that some listeners might “pop it in and say Buckshot bore me.” Despite its title, however, The Formula has its charms. Its sleepy air seems pastoral — the urban equivalent of sipping lemonade on a hot afternoon.
