Ludacris
Theater of the Mind
(Def Jam)
If you are in the minority of Ludacris fans, you’ve seen Crash and his SNL guest spot, grooved to Release Therapy and have an expectation that Theater of the Mind is the product of an emcee with substance. With only a few exceptions, however, Ludacris’ smooth, sing-song flow and razor wit are diluted by formulaic analogizing, endless money bragging and mediocre production. The good news, though, is that if you’re in the majority of Ludacris’ fans, you will be excited by the myriad of new rhyming boasts on Theater of the Mind that you can now yell in crowded streets, school hallways and late-night rides on the #80 bus.
Caley MacLennan
This article appears in Dec 18-24, 2008.