On his eighth solo joint, the Bronx native keeps one foot in the street and one in the club. Featuring a variety of production styles that move between hardcore New York street-hop, commercial dance-floor bangers, R&B-influenced radio appeal, and hyped-up Dirty South crunk, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM has something for hip-hop heads of all persuasions. Lyrically, Don Cartegena seems to have mastered his niche as he composes decadent, Colombian-powdered party scenarios and treacherous street-life vignettes. The one-two Bronx combo of Joe and KRS has always worked, and a compelling, Alchemist-produced inner dialogue track is the album's gem. THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM features beats courtesy of Street Runner, Cool & Dre, Danja, Scott Storch, and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Plies, Pooh Bear, Opera Steve, J. Holiday, and the above-mentioned KRS-One.

Vibe (p.78) - "The nexus of what Fat Joe embodies comes on 'That White,' bubbling with DJ Premier's chopped strings, that mandatory fourth-bar freak, and a scratched-in Young Jeezy exhortation."