Ludacris - "Theater Of The Mind" Album Review
Since his formal introduction onto the main stage back in 2000, Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges has been a symbol of consistency. So far every album he’s released (aside from DTP projects) has landed him a nice shiny platinum plaque to hang in his Atlanta mansion. Now with his sixth studio album on deck, Theater Of The Mind, he hopes to keep that streak intact. The whole idea behind Theater Of The Mind is for each song to replicate a scene from a movie, which means the artists who accompany the Atlanta lyricist on the album aren’t being “featured,” they’re “co-starring.”
So after you buy your tickets, grab a tub of popcorn, and find your seat, the opening credits begin with a patented “Luda” intro with him unleashing his comical lines like, “Tell them other n*ggas we see danger/probably, cause I got enough albums to fill your CD changer.”
The first co-starring role comes from retired Welterweight boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. providing Ludacris with a pep talk on ‘Undisputed.’ Behind the horn-drenched beat supplied by Don Cannon, he continues to express his lyrical individuality, “What you want from me, I got pistols for the haters/ya fam will be in black like they were playing for the Raiders/and your music isn’t favored/and DJ’s, they never bring it back/like when you go and borrow so mething from yo ur neighbor.”
Ludacris and T.I. continue their friendly truce, as he co-stars on ‘Wish You Would.’ This time with DJ Toomp tracking the beat, both Southern boys discuss what they have, and how they dare someone to try and take it from them. T-Pain co-stars on ‘One More Drink,’ so the concept behind the title should be self-explanatory, but for those who can’t figure it out—it’s about drinking and hooking up with women.
Boston native Clinton Sparks loans his touch on ‘Call Up The Homies’ co-starring both The Game and DTP member Willy Northpole. The Game and Ludacris take turns trading lines on how they’re getting ready for war, while alerting their crew on speed dial, with Willy Northpole batting clean up. ‘Southern Gangsta’ actually has a real actor on it, as it co-stars Playaz Circle, Rick Ross, and the voice behind the BET series American Gangster, Ving Rhames.
The veteran performer depicts all three acts just as he does on American Gangster for the hook, while they all back up his research with their verses. ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ co-stars the creator of the actual sitcom Everybody Hates Chris in Chris Rock. The funnyman rambles off a quick intro and outro for his fellow “Chris,” as the rapping Chris goes on tirade about why people probably hate him in between.
‘MVP’ is one of only two songs that star Ludacris all by his lonesome, and it was a perfect one to hog the limelight on, because DJ Premier steps in and takes over the 1’s and 2’s. North definitely meets South, with Ludacris fully completing the unmistakable production and scratch-laden hooks with lines like, “Eight years in the game, ain’t a damn thing changed/so I brought it back to one of the tracks of where the damn thing came.”
Little Brother’s former spin doctor 9th Wonder sets the stage for director Spike Lee and Common to co-star on ‘Do The Right Thang.’ The drawn out production is the perfect match for both slow-flow experts to bring in their own flare, as “Mars Blackmon” caps it off with a quick soliloquy. The rest of the album contains honorable mentions like ‘Last Of A Dying Breed’ co-starring Lil Wayne, the big-budget film of ‘I Do It For Hip-Hop’ co-starring Jay-Z and Nas, the clap-happy ‘What Them Girls,’ co-starring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett, and ‘Stay Together’ where he pleads for all broken Hip-Hop crews to set aside their differences, bury the hatchet, and reunite.
Ludacris’ sixth album is another well-put together project with the MC having no trouble navigating his path right past imitators in order to stand alone. Usually when an artist has an album that features, or in this case “co-stars” so many other established acts, the host can sometimes get overwhelmed and out shined. But that doesn’t happen in this case, with Ludacris holding more than his own on every contribution. Filled with funny metaphors, original material, and solid production; Theater Of The Mind is a flick definitely worth checking out.
Ludacris on Def Jam
Ludacris on Myspace
