Sixth time around...

LUDA!
written by 4bars

I’ve always said that Ludacris is one of the most underrated rappers in the game. As the Rakim sample says: “MC means move the crowd” and for nearly a decade Luda has done just that. But as I was listening to his new album Theatre of the Mind I figured out via conversation with my boy just why he’s always been underrated all these years.

The most obvious reason for Luda not receiving props is his tendency to make pop music. Many probably think if Luda as a bubble gum rapper for the outlandish videos and the constant guest appearances with R&B cats. But Busta Rhymes makes outlandish videos and T.I. was on the Justin Timberlake CD and neither of them gets overlooked. Maybe it’s the fact that he never sold dope and never claimed to (except for that one time in Bia Bia)? Well you can pick a rapper from Chicago (Ye, Lupe, Common) and they don’t get written off or slept on because of their lack of weight pushing.

The reason Luda is slept on is because his albums lack totality. If you look back at every one of his albums, he’s got about 3 or 4 hard ass tracks where he boasts about how much of a beast he is and puffs out his chest a bit. He has about 2 or 3 funny tracks where he uses his humor and creativity. And he makes sure to have 2 to 5 songs dedicated to the ladies; whether about strippers, big booty “Hoes”, or hoes in different “Area Codes”. The interesting thing about the “Hoe Songs” is that they often double as singles off the album. So as to not totally disappoint, Luda makes sure to put at least one song with some sort of social commentary on his albums so I can’t completely be critical, but it hardly balances out.

As I talked with my boy I realized that Luda is the ultimate cookie cutter rapper when it comes to comprising an album. He’s never had a classic album, which has hampered him greatly, but the reason for this is because all of his albums look the same. His singles usually look the same, his videos, while outlandish and hilarious, are usually expected to be such. Don’t get it twisted, I think he is one of the best lyricists of our generation but his strength also hurts him because in today’s hip hop, you need to have an “edge” to you and Luda is about as feared as Nick Cannon.

This Tuesday, Luda puts out his sixth album and sadly, it fits the mold of his previous 5. But luckily for him, his mass appeal and his lyrical ability manage to salvage this album too. So while I won’t buy it on Tuesday (all my money is going to Mr. West) I will save the 2 or 3 hot tracks on my iPod.