Ludacris: Chicken and Beer
With his latest effort, this southern MC takes us on another ride through his lascivious and mischievous mind with a set of 17 jams aimed at rattling boomboxes. What sustains Ludacris is his healthy irreverence, wicked wit, and absolute refusal to romanticize southern poverty. Most of his rhymes are aimed at those who doubted him and the hilarious "Blow It Out" takes on all haters with furious defiance. "Screwed Up," with Lil' Flip, is an ode to pot puffing and drinking and a flip-off of anyone who tells him he's doing something wrong. Burning brain cells has never been celebrated more deliriously. Ludacris also takes aim at Bill O'Reilly, who had him fired as a spokesman for Pepsi. "Hoes In My Room," with Snoop Dogg, is basically one long setup to aim a nasty barb at the right-wing commentator. While the MC is almost always shooting for the clever one-liner, it's all underlined with the knowledge that he came from nothing and he's gonna fight to keep what he has earned. Musically, he eschews big-name producers for mostly unknowns and they deliver. It adds up to a raucous, riotous listen that doesn't overstay its welcome. Ludacris plays the FleetCenter on Oct. 28.
