Recommended: Young Jeezy at the Blender Theater

Yup, this is the man who accidentally endorsed John McCain back in June (“No disrespect to my man Barack, but I fuck with John McCain. He greeted me like a god”). The Barack-big-upping “My President,” slated to appear on next week’s The Recession, should clear all that up; according to a recent video, the whole flap—coming as it did on the eve of Young Jeezy’s third album—finally taught the veteran rapper “the power of words.” He’s had a good year—a spot on Usher’s world-beating “Love in This Club” and a hot single, the Kanye-featuring “Put On,” that’s already got a decent Jay-Z remix—and though The Recession probably won’t touch Lil Wayne’s Carter III, it’s safe to say that Jeezy won’t have to mortgage the house anytime soon. Whether the record will be any good is another question—guys in his line of work aren’t exactly known for their reinvention skills, and he’s already one mediocre album past the debut that made him a star.—Zach Baron