official liveblog rap album review thread

is it possible to be disappointed by a Ludacris album at this late date?

I mean I thought we'd been in this holding pattern for like 4 albums now of Luda going "this album's going to be the classic that puts me in everyone's top 10" and then it being some lame uneven shit, at this point I'm just like whatever, I'll check it out and there'll at least be some decent songs.

7. Everybody Hates Chris "co-starring" Chris Rock

is he sampling the theme song of the show on this? I can't remember what it sounds like. this gimmick of having non-singers/rappers talk on the beat is gonna get pretty old by the time Spike Lee shows up, ain't it. Don Cannon is still the 2008 champ of southern soul beats, though.

8. What Them Girls Like "co-starring" Chris Brown and Sean Garrett

OK seriously you think this is the best track? wtf

9. Nasty Girl "co-starring" Plies

v. disappointed in Swizz for this shit, it still has some of his cool "different random drum sound every other bar" style but the synth line is so loud and cheesy. Luda should never do sleazy sex songs that aren't as fast as "What's Your Fantasy" or faster. even Plies is kinda boring on this, I was hoping he'd at least say something ridiculous or disgusting like he does on all his radio singles.

10. Contagious "co-starring" Jamie Foxx

"Unpredictable" was my jam so I gave this the benefit of the doubt but man this stretch really is a no man's land of terrible R&B songs, isn't it. I like how Jamie pronounces "simply" with three syllables, though.

11. Last Of A Dying Breed "co-starring" Lil Wayne

Ooh a film projector sound effect! Real fancy, Luda. This sample's really been done way too many times for it to work here. I don't think I've ever heard an album where a rapper mentions how many albums he has this many times. lol @ him playing up the O'Reilly/Oprah/Obama controversies like he's some kind of scary outlaw rapper. Wayne sounds kinda heated on this, almost like this could've been recorded in 2007 or something.

12. MVP "co-starring" nobody, finally

Primo's dropped some nice beats lately but I'm not really into this one. You'd think he'd be able to piece together a dope collage chorus of Luda quotes but he probably doesn't actually listen to Ludacris records.

13. I Do It For Hip Hop "co-starring" Nas and Jay-Z

Before Joe Budden, before The Game, Luda was the first MC to constantly whine about how Jay won't give him his respect or do a song with him, so I guess congrats to him for finally getting to the point where Jay will throw him a stupid guest verse. Who is this Wyldflyer guy who keeps getting to do boring beats for big event songs like this and "Black Republican"?

14. Do The Right Thang "co-starring" Common and Spike Lee

OK I kind of like that goofy "wake up" intro. This is a pretty big yawn until the OK last Luda verse, though.

15. Let's Stay Together

Since I bought this on iTunes I might as well post about the bonus track. I remember hearing this when it leaked way before the album and liking it, probably would've been one of the best tracks on the proper album if it was included. I like that he fantasizes about all these rap reunions and says "Crunchy with Three 6" when it's a Paul and Juicy track. I like that he mentions a couple DTP breakups in here but I mean he just cut loose half the label's roster last year, that's kinda weird.

wtf @ front row luda vest

this dude is totally a singles/guest rapper artist -- he's really talented but i dont get why everyone thinks hes a minute from dropping a classic at this point

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Ludaback4firsttime-2000.jpghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/Ludacris-WordOfMouf-music-album.jpg

even Plies is kinda boring on this, I was hoping he'd at least say something ridiculous or disgusting like he does on all his radio singles.

^^lol this needs to go on the Rap in 2008 headstone

ya i was gonna say - back for the first time is a classic and word of mouf is pretty damn close

id pick those over the other options but neither of them get me rewinding over and over or something -- they dont have anything on a guy like redman who has such a similar schtick but way more solid records

tbh im kind of challopsing out of boredom here

luda is really too intense to sit though an entire album of

back for the first time has distinctly early 2000s southern beats and knockout punchlines - idk what's not to love

joe you may be right but i think that statement applies to latter day luda when he felt he had things to "prove" - i think on his earlier albums esp. word of mouf when he was already a superstar he's just doing stand-up comedy basically

word of mouf is dope tho

xactly

the other day i was gonna do a bangladesh + luda poll but i forgot also i dont think anyone would vote

stick em up is probably the best in any event

well probably what's your fantasy

this dude is totally a singles/guest rapper artist -- he's really talented but i dont get why everyone thinks hes a minute from dropping a classic at this point

― deej, Monday, December 1, 2008 5:12 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

'everyone'? like I was saying earlier, Luda says every album is going to be the classic that cements his status, and of course it never is and I don't think anyone ever expects him to deliver either. nobody thinks he's a minute from dropping a classic.

eh i hear people say that shit about him all the time -- "hes such a great rapper!!!" + he has inconsistent albums or whatever.

yeah, but i mean, i think people treat that as the status quo...he's always going to be good, his albums are never going to be great, that's how it will always be, etc.

this is a completely hollow comparison i realize but it's kinda like bob pollard to an extent, no (moreso in the 90s)? uneven albums (save for a couple classics imo) with great songs every few tracks or so. i love bob pollard btw

people really stop need to stop trying so hard to come up with variations on "i'm white btw"

hahahahahahahahahahaha

the actual joke is that i think that was unintentional

im pretty sure the soulja boy album is dope but im gonna liveblog it anyway
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61DHV5-3eTL._SS500_.jpg

Stoked for the madness

i'm about the stax

beat soundin a little like "shootout". my life might be too gucci mane centered right now but i think he rubbed off on soulja boy. he doesn't have gucci's flow yet but he's kinda picked up this knack for punchlines that are simple in their brilliance

bird walk

i like the keyboard on this one - drip droppy with these huge drum thwacks like "grindin" or something -- they actually are just bursts of noise kind of like something from justice. WHATTCCHH ME DOO IT YOOOUU. pretty good single i think

soulja boy for the kids like disney

turn my swag on

this is like a rip-off of "whats up whats haapenin" except better. chorus is all whiny and wheezing like t.i. haha he actually says "whaaaats up". at least he's transparent. can't even tell when the chorus stops and the verses start. this sing-song is a pretty new look for him but i like it. pretty catchy

gucci bandana ft. gucci mane and shawty lo

i've written about gucci/soulja boy collabos too much for my own health and this one is pretty dope. i think the chorus is him sampling himself from his "marco polo" verse. soulja boy's verse is wack on this but the beat has this nice elastic bass that would probably rattle a car. anytime gucci mane enters a song it's immediately my favorite part of the song. his flow is a little too stunted on this one but the ad-libs are on point. dunno i can't hate anything gucci does. except not doing his community service. please someone stop shawty lo. please let him be implicated in trying to buy obama's senate seat or something. does he want to sound like he has emphysema? i dont get it

eazy

beat here has these whiny synths and muted horns. good look, way less fruity loops than his other stuff. sounds like a toomp beat (btw im assuming that soulja boy did all these beats). employs good beat drops during the chorus. verses are okay but it's hard to hate on this one since the whole thing has a pretty nice bounce

my life might be too gucci mane centered right now but

caveat of the year

kiss me thru the phone (ft. sammie)

beat is a rip-off of "whatever you like" w/ has those keyboard bleeps but it's pretty good. synths are orchestral but this hook is pretty wack. i guess sammie is a dude who sings. not much to say about this one. not skippable but not good really. synths sound like m83 or something

i like "gucci bandana," they been playin' that on the radio here a lot but i didn't know what it was (like if it was on SB's record or just something he did for someone else).

it's been around for a while. it was on his 'teen of the south' mixtape from this summer and then ended up on the album

Sammie was a kiddie R&B singer in the 90s, he came back a couple years ago with a snap & B song w/ Jazze Pha

BOOTY GOT SWAG (DONK PT. 2)

i have to say, i'm pretty excited about this one. "her booty so big i can hang my chain from it". this song is like big bass hits + rolling snare parts like mannie fresh style + "her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag her booty got swag"

i just heard it on a gucci mixtape i had - one of the 30 he dropped this year

cherish them because there will be ZERO in 09

BOOTY GOT SWAG (DONK PT. 2) is like some kind of palin-esque combination of random buzzwords

"rubber bands"

i think this one is an adaption of the mixtape track "bands" which is way better. beat on this one is a little messy, weird twinkling keyboards. "shout out to the mona lisa hanging on my wall". not a necessary track. wish this was just "bands" it is pretty cool when he goes "look at my rubber... BANDS" tho

haha otm xp