It’s hard to believe that we’re six albums, 13 films and one decade into the career of the greatest album selling Southern emcee in hip hop history, Ludacris. The Atlanta native has parlayed a quick wit and more than lyrically adept flow into a VERY successful mainstream career, in fact providing a blueprint for other southern rappers like T.I. and Lil Wayne to control the Southern game and create an indelible mark on the international hip hop consciousness. With his seventh release Battle of the Sexes due on March 9th, he doesn’t change a thing in his calculated style, putting out an album that doesn’t reinvent the wheel and feels expected, but in that expectation continues to direct and guide the party, aided by some of urban music’s rising talents and classic favorites at the art.
Strong lead singles have always been a forte of the artist, dating back to his 2000 release Back for the First Time, whose asskicking club anthem “Southern Hospitality” still resonates as clear and fresh as it did a decade ago, the bow throwin’, slang talkin’ rapper setting a precedent and blueprint by which he’s guided his entire career. Battle of the Sexes “How Low,” a fun party starter that zipped to #6 on the Billboard pop charts keeps Canada winning as well, as Drake’s producer T-Minus supplies a poppy synth track that is handled well. Classic Chi-town mastermind for Twista, Traxter goes in big with follow up “My Chick Bad” featuring Queens femcee of the moment Nicki Minaj. The track is solid, but on a conceptual level feels just like Gucci Mane’s “5 Star Chick,” another southern hip hop track aggrandizing beautiful and independent women, both ironically featuring the salacious Head Barbie.
Trey Songz’s appearance on “Sex Room,” as well as Bangladesh’s production on the Gucci Mane assisted “Party No Mo” are fantastic. “Feelin’ So Sexy” and the Swizz Beatz produced Ne-Yo duet “Tell Me A Secret” as expected give the album the “Hotel” vibe of the “show, afterparty and hotel” vibe of the record. Bonus track “Sexting,” with it’s bouncy Neptunes production and Trey Songz “LOL 
” feel is a ready made single, and a mystery as to why it is not included on the album proper, and the “My Chick Bad” remix, featuring Trina, formerly of Crime Mob, Diamond, and yes, “the illest pitbull in a skirt” Eve’s return to hip hop may be the feel good posse cut of the year, as between Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim both being on the same album, Luda more than meets the expectation of the “battle of the sexes” theme, and may have also single-handedly saved the concept of women in hip hop.
” feel is a ready made single, and a mystery as to why it is not included on the album proper, and the “My Chick Bad” remix, featuring Trina, formerly of Crime Mob, Diamond, and yes, “the illest pitbull in a skirt” Eve’s return to hip hop may be the feel good posse cut of the year, as between Nicki Minaj and Lil’ Kim both being on the same album, Luda more than meets the expectation of the “battle of the sexes” theme, and may have also single-handedly saved the concept of women in hip hop.Don’t listen to this album expecting the answer to the woes of the record industry. Instead, this album doesn’t deviate from form, and merely provides an hour long diversion and party in the club. In all reality, given the nature of the universe right now, that’s not a bad look at all.
3.5 STARS OUT OF FIVE
