February 1, 2002

Ludacris : Word Of Mouf

Saucy rap. But more besides....

7 / 10 Ludacris is the new commercial king of the Dirty South blocks.
Chris Bridges, as he's also known, has a fine line in gutter humour, as if he'd rather concern himself with
chasing women and other recreational pursuits than making sense of the world around him. Even
his rap delivery, is idiosyncratic, unconventional and hilarious.

The Chicago-born Atlanta native's second outing finds Ludacris hungry to consolidate on
his initial sex-rhyme success, whilst giving a more rounded picture of a life lived below
the Mason-Dixon line. There's a more commercial edge to the beats, as well as a subversive edge
you'd expect from an MC who's cribbed from Eddie Murphy routines. Certainly the bossanova-style
horns on 'Rollout (My Business)', courtesy of Timbaland, and Swizz Beats' askew 'Cry Babies (Oh No)'
rhythm are lessons in making the seemingly avant-garde accessible. And yet again, the beast with
two backs is the main agenda here - as the saucy trio of 'She Said', 'Keep It On The Hush',
'Freaky Thangs', plus more, confirm.

Which doesn't mean Ludacris can't get serious. The poignant visions of adolescence
lost on 'Growing Pains' and the daily life struggles, legal and illegal, depicted by 'Cold Outside'
show a more mature outlook he can further grow into. And the homicidal anger of 'Get The Fuck Back'
and the oppressive 'Go To Sleep' show he isn't averse to gangsta tactics either. For the most part,
though, the world will mainly see the pseudo-pimpery of the 'Area Codes' hit and mark Ludacris down
as a comic archetype of sorts. In truth, he's a tad more complex.

Dele Fadele