The addition of the Young Chris-assisted "Connect 4" as well as the Wale-featured bonus "Tito Santana" slows the album's momentum though [Royce da 5'9"] and Budden's chemistry on "For You" is undeniable.

"[8] HipHopDX reviewer, Andres Vasquez, gave the album a three out of five, saying "Gaining creativity from the dark clouds, he remains introspective and polished as a writer, demonstrating lyricism that's miles ahead of many in the genre.

It still delivers the goods for any fan of poetry on wax but the overall sound quality simply isn't up to par, making this nothing more or less than another solid effort.

"[7] J. Tinsley of The Smoking Section gave the album a 3.5 out of five, saying "Ultimately, Escape Route finds itself as one of Budden's best releases since 2007's Mood Muzik 3.

But with the upcoming album, The Great Escape and Mood Muzik 4 supposedly in the making, his solo career could soon begin to receive the artistic recognition many have been clamoring for years.