| Reviews Reviews are based on a point system. 1=speed bump material, 10=masterpiece. |
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| Busta Rhymes- Genesis: Arguably the most idiosyncratic MC in contemporary rap, Busta Rhymes flaunts his musical genius on his J Records debut. "Break Ya Neck," an uptempo headbanger produced by the good Dr. Dre, features Busta flipping his trademark rapid-fire delivery over some postmodern beats. The Neptunes lace Busta with some spacey heat-seeking rhythm tracks on "What It Is," featuring Kelis, while on "As I Come Back" Busta unleashes some potent dungeon-dragon roars and Jamaican-patois-inflected rhymes. Pedigreed knob twiddlers Pete Rock and Diamond D drop by to provide the dreadlocked wonder with some crisp beats and the first lady of the Flipmode Squad, Rah Digga, rips up some rhymes on "Betta Stay Up in Your House." Busta's clearly ditched the apocalyptic postmillennial musings heard on his last three studio albums for a more party-themed sound. Sure, he dabbles in a little bit of dorkery by enlisting the talents of P. Diddy on "Pass the Courvoisier," but all in all his eclectic rhymes and the plethora of wildly unpredictable beats makes Genesis a keeper. 8.75 OUT OF 10 |
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| UGK- Dirty Money: UGK were wildly popular down South and on the West Coast, but little more than a blip on the screen to East Coast heads until Jay-Z invited Pimp C and Bun B to beat him at his own flow on 1999's "Big Pimpin'." Just because a certain demographic has slept doesn't mean that UGK ain't 'bout it--the Kingz have been laying down their own particular brand of G-crunk for almost 10 years now. Akin to fellow Texans the Geto Boys, UGK's sound is more spare and noirish than your average Southern Bounce crew. Featuring the laid-back flow and gangsta lean production fans have come to expect, Dirty Money is their best release to date. Contentwise, it's the same old "money, macks, and mamis," but UGK do it better than most. "Holdin Na," featuring C-Note, utilizes an unexpected Beastie Boys sample, "Ain't That a Bitch," with rapper Devin (The Dude), and Big Gip's incendiary vocals help make "Don't Say S--t" the album's standout track. 8 OUT OF 10 |
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| Ludacris- Word Of Mouf: For this Atlanta-based rapper, keeping true to street roots has never been a concern, since he's always remained so close to them. Far from the east and west coast hip-hop star mills, this southern sensation rose up from the underground and never abandoned what he'd learned there. His third album WORD OF MOUF may find Ludacris surrounded by a brace of guests that include both heavy hitters (Mystikal, Jagged Edge, Nate Dogg) and more unknown names (Sleepy Brown, Keon Bryce, Fate Wilson), but he draws on his own considerable verbal skills and unique urban vision as the foundations for his work. 8 OUT OF 10 |
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