Spring Break
Two thumbs up for Ludacris' Theater of the Mind
John Holmes
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: Entertainment
12/05/08 - With exams upon us, nothing beats a night out at the movies to relieve stress. Unfortunately, looking at the films in theaters right now, there is nothing out that I even almost want to see.
Thank God, then, that Chris Bridges, AKA Ludacris, has got my back on this one. The rapper, who seems to be doing more screen work than most actors lately, has apparently decided to theme his new album Theater of the Mind, as some good old-fashioned cinema.
The theme is pretty shallow, consisting basically of an opening skit, referring the guest rappers as "Co-Stars," and including spoken-word cameos from the likes of Chris Rock, Ving Rhames, and Spike Lee. If you came expecting a movie, you'll find yourself eating your popcorn to the sounds of just a rap album, albeit a really, really good one. Ludacris has been improving steadily and quickly over the years since his debut, and this album is clearly indicative of that success. His creativity is evident in the often-hysterical punch-lines (on "Wish You Would," Luda declares "Yeah I went green, 26s on the hybrid / smoked so much green that I can't open up my eyelids") and whacked-out metaphors that work despite themselves (boasting that he keeps his "ear to the street like a cocker spaniel" and on "Nasty Girl" that he is "hung like a jury").
By now you've probably heard the Chris Brown and Sean Garrett featuring "What Them Girls Like," which boasts a faux-Middle Eastern sound in the vein of "Big Pimpin'" or "Thoia Thong." Far more effective is the next single "One More Drink" where Luda raps "…I crept up like, shorty 'what's happenin'? / you killin' that dress and I love it with a passion' / then she turned around and her face was aight / she had a gap tooth and a mean overbite / but I was like-" and T-Pain continues with the ridiculous hook, "If I take one more drink / I'm gonna end up f***king you… / Is that what you wanna do?"
Trashy? Maybe. Catchy? Clearly.
Like most movies, the best scenes are saved for the end; the final two tracks, "I Do it for Hip Hop" and "Do the Right Thang" are the highlights of the album.
"I Do it for Hip Hop," which features Jay-Z and Nas, allows the three MCs to reflect, with Ludacris actually managing to outshine these legends with lines like "I do it for the fans, I do it on command / I do it for the front row, I do it for the stands / I spit it for the hood, I do it for the block / and since nine years old, I did it for Hip Hop!" There was little else needed to be said.
Closing the album is "Do the Right Thang," which features Common and a cameo from Spike Lee, so you know it's socially conscious. Luda reaches out to young people in the inner cities selling drugs, rapping, "snow is all around, but you don't play in the Winter Games / cartridges surround you, but you ain't playin' Nintendo games!" and pleading, "Use your brain, homie / Do the right thang!
You can do the right thang by giving this album a listen.
Sure beats a movie. Two thumbs up.
Thank God, then, that Chris Bridges, AKA Ludacris, has got my back on this one. The rapper, who seems to be doing more screen work than most actors lately, has apparently decided to theme his new album Theater of the Mind, as some good old-fashioned cinema.
The theme is pretty shallow, consisting basically of an opening skit, referring the guest rappers as "Co-Stars," and including spoken-word cameos from the likes of Chris Rock, Ving Rhames, and Spike Lee. If you came expecting a movie, you'll find yourself eating your popcorn to the sounds of just a rap album, albeit a really, really good one. Ludacris has been improving steadily and quickly over the years since his debut, and this album is clearly indicative of that success. His creativity is evident in the often-hysterical punch-lines (on "Wish You Would," Luda declares "Yeah I went green, 26s on the hybrid / smoked so much green that I can't open up my eyelids") and whacked-out metaphors that work despite themselves (boasting that he keeps his "ear to the street like a cocker spaniel" and on "Nasty Girl" that he is "hung like a jury").
By now you've probably heard the Chris Brown and Sean Garrett featuring "What Them Girls Like," which boasts a faux-Middle Eastern sound in the vein of "Big Pimpin'" or "Thoia Thong." Far more effective is the next single "One More Drink" where Luda raps "…I crept up like, shorty 'what's happenin'? / you killin' that dress and I love it with a passion' / then she turned around and her face was aight / she had a gap tooth and a mean overbite / but I was like-" and T-Pain continues with the ridiculous hook, "If I take one more drink / I'm gonna end up f***king you… / Is that what you wanna do?"
Trashy? Maybe. Catchy? Clearly.
Like most movies, the best scenes are saved for the end; the final two tracks, "I Do it for Hip Hop" and "Do the Right Thang" are the highlights of the album.
"I Do it for Hip Hop," which features Jay-Z and Nas, allows the three MCs to reflect, with Ludacris actually managing to outshine these legends with lines like "I do it for the fans, I do it on command / I do it for the front row, I do it for the stands / I spit it for the hood, I do it for the block / and since nine years old, I did it for Hip Hop!" There was little else needed to be said.
Closing the album is "Do the Right Thang," which features Common and a cameo from Spike Lee, so you know it's socially conscious. Luda reaches out to young people in the inner cities selling drugs, rapping, "snow is all around, but you don't play in the Winter Games / cartridges surround you, but you ain't playin' Nintendo games!" and pleading, "Use your brain, homie / Do the right thang!
You can do the right thang by giving this album a listen.
Sure beats a movie. Two thumbs up.
