All or Nothing is the sixthstudio album by American rapper Fat Joe. The album was released on June 14, 2005, by Terror Squad and Atlantic. The album debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200 with 106,500 sold in the first week released and has sold about 295,000 copies as of summer 2006.
Critical reception
Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews found the record to be much more than its first two singles, praising the beats for emitting a fiery energy throughout the track listing and Joe's performance for being similar to The Notorious B.I.G. in terms of delivering both crossover radio singles and hardcore bangers, concluding that "Fat Joe is nobody's joke any more - he goes for "All or Nothing" on this album and in doing so even serves notice to competitors for that dapper throne that it's not 50's to own. I think it's safe to say he doubled up on the bet." Andy Kellman of AllMusic said it was similar to previous projects that Joe had done in the early 2000s and gave note to Cool & Dre's work being up to par with their more well-known contemporaries, concluding that "While Joe has yet to come up with a landmark album, he also hasn't released a dud since his 1993 debut." Rolling Stones Christian Hoard was concerned about the vast producers and guest artists throughout the album but said that Joe's macho persona and no-frills lyricism had enough variations to carry it. Spin credited the record for Just Blaze's production on "Safe 2 Say" and the Nelly collaboration "Get It Poppin'", calling it "A best-yet mix of the New York hardcore hip-hop that keeps this 50 Cent rival vital and the radio-friendly floor fillers that pad his bank account." A writer for HipHopDX commended the album for having standout party bangers and street tracks courtesy of Cool & Dre but felt the overall package was below the standards Joe set for himself against 50 Cent and G-Unit, concluding that "With the diverse variety of production and A-List features on All or Nothing it's safe to say that it could have been so, so much more." Jim During of IGNsaw promise in the record because of Just Blaze and Cool & Dre's contributions in the first-half, and Mase and Eminem's guest verses on the "Lean Back" remix, but said it loses that energy when it moves towards the crossover singles. Entertainment Weekly writer Nick Marino commented on the lack of cohesiveness in Joe's musicianship, saying "he can’t quite integrate his machismo and vulnerability into seamless artistry." He concluded that "the result is a choppy gangsta party record, laced with sweetness." Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian felt the track listing was nothing more than a typical rapper's checklist, and found Joe's rhymes on "Lean Back " to be "workmanlike plod" compared to Eminem's, calling All or Nothing a "makeweight mainstream hip hop album."
