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| Lil Wayne- 500 Degreez: Lil Wayne comes on as hard as can be on 500 DEGREEZ. Still, no matter how hard he underscores his gangsta themes on such representative tracks as "Gangsta S***," "F*** You," and "Way of Life," his hard-hitting approach is offset by a subtle-yet-undeniable sense of humor. For one thing, there's Wayne's voice itself, which at its most is and can be annoying and tiresome. Then there's the production, which is laced throughout with booming bass and synth riffs that bespeak a deep devotion to the street-cred of super producers Jazze Pha and Mannie Fresh. Such guests as Baby, Big Tymers, and TQ are on hand to bolster Wayne's hard-as-nails image, but it is not enough to keep this album alfloat. 5 OUT OF 10 |
| Smilez & Southstar- Crash The Party:Orlando, Florida rappers Smilez and Southstar, having previously made names for themselves as writers for other hip-hop artists, strike out on their own with CRASH THE PARTY, their major label debut. It's a mix of crazy, Outkast-style beats, and lyrics that center on the age-old themes of money and sex. The duo delivers their rhymes with an appealing mix of panache and wit. Off-the-wall hooks abound, and the pair sound like they're having a blast throughout, with the strip-club ambience of "Let's Get Naked" and the bad-boy bragging of "Let's Roll" clear highlights, while the title track recalls old-school hip-hop beats with its stuttering bass line. Though Smilez and Southstar stick to tried and tested formulas throughout the set, mostly CRASH THE PARTY brims with humor, bad-ass energy, and confidence. 7 OUT OF 10 |
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| Will Smith- Born To Reign: Keeping in time with the creative synergy that's defined Smith's creative output, REIGN features two versions of the aforementioned film's theme "Black Suits Comin (Nod Ya Head)"--a guitar-and-strings-driven single and a remix featuring Nickelodeon's Taina (aka Christina Vidal) making like a poor man's Jennifer Lopez. Big Willy also reinforces his family-friendly rep with a duet featuring surprisingly solid singing spouse Jada Pinkett-Smith ("1,000 Kisses" with a sample of Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much"), a faux-reggae tribute to his daughter ("Willow Is A Player"), and props to his mom (the thumping "Momma Knows"). Smith has fun snapping off a bit of Ricky Martin-esque Latin pop (the Gipsy Kings-sampling "I Can't Stop") and name-checking Denzel and Russell Crowe on a funky love letter to hip-hop ("How Da Beat Goes"). BORN TO REIGN reinforces Smith's dominance of the crossover kingdom of rap and pop. 6 OUT OF 10 |