The Quotable Reviews: Theatre of the Mind

"Cause this is Theatre of the Mind. / Consider it a sign / of whats to come next." - "I Do It For Hip Hop"

After 8 years and 6 studio LPs, there are certain expectations we here at The Quotable have for each new Ludacris album:

We expect him to come hard from the left with his big, baritone voice, and even bigger videos and production ("Southern Hospitality," "Roll Out," "Stand Up!," "Get Back," "Move Bitch").

We expect him to down shift into mack-mode for a track or three (a la Busta Rhymes), using his tongue-twister-slash-late-night-phone-tone to seduce the fairer sex ("Phat Rabbit," "P-Poppin," "Splash Waterfalls," "Hoes In My Room").

We expect a healthy amount of comic relief ("Ho," "Area Codes," "Blow It Out").

We expect an ill 16 bar cipher cut to open each album ("Southern Fried Intro," "Intro," "Warning").

But what keeps the respect flowing in Luda's direction is his visceral focus on lyricism. And we expect him to drop lines like 'Enter' each and every time out the gate.

FACT.

So as expected, we here at The Quotable were more than amped about Luda's sixth studio album, Theatre of the Mind. Although he's never been one of my default Emcees (artists that you listen to during those times when you don't know what you want to listen to), Ludacris consistently brings that heat when its cold outside. Does Theatre of the Mind meet the standard? Walk with us as...

The Quotable Reviews: Theatre of the Mind

Theatre of the Mind is basically made up of three types of tracks: cipher cuts, chick/club songs, and concept records - all intended to provide that scene-from-a-movie feel.

The album opener, "Intro," represents the obligatory, ill, 16-bar, cipher cut where Luda reintroduces himself while laying out the premise of his latest release (a staple found on each of his LPs). Over The Runners heavy bass line, bouncing snare drums, and medieval choir, Ludacris drops one of the most honest quotables of his career - "Give me 16 bars / on another n***** song / and you know that I'm gonna fuckin' kill it!" 'Cris has arguably the hottest intros in the game. Each of his LPs opens with some big, triumphant, back-the-muttaskut-up-cause-you-can't-handle-me-lyrically intro that immediately reminds you why Luda's necessary to Hip Hop right now - because he holds every other MC accountable for his craft. "Intro" is no different, and equally refreshing.



And to be honest, this is the side of Chris Lova Lova thats had us here at TQ so eagerly anticipating this latest release. I mean, tracks like the hilarious, T-Pain assisted "One More Drink," or the club anthem, Chris Brown featured, "What Them Girls Like," or even the R&B-throwback, Scott Storch produced "Contagious" (featuring Jamie Foxx) suitably fill the chick/club track quota (none of which are bad listens). And concept records such as the 9th Wonder produced "Do The Right Thang" (where Luda and Common team up to remind cats to walk the right path or be prepared to face life's consequences), "Call Up The Homies" (featuring The Game), or the trap-certified, 808 bass-lined, "Southern Gangsta" (Rick Ross and Playaz Circle join Luda to wax poetic about their hustler credentials), or even the highly anticipated T.I. collaboration, "Wish You Would" help to round out the album. But Theatre of the Mind's true value is found in its cipher cuts.

"Bow down to greatness / before I get pist-n' / run up in the stands like the Indiana Pacers." - "Undisputed"



"Undisputed" and "Everybody Hates Chris" (with Chris Rock) are the albums first 2 examples, each showcasing Luda's brolic, battle-ready lyrical demeanor. The latter's lively horns and hand claps invoke an immediate head-nod while 'Cris rides the track to perfection. Then, after a brief detour down chick-track-avenue, Theatre of the Mind breaks left onto freestyle expressway. "Last of a Dying Breed" is an epic, scratch-heavy, track that Luda and Lil' Wayne use to put on an exhibition in lyrical exercise.

"Top 5 dead or alive / but really it just hit me / that 3 out of your 5's too scared to f*ck with me. / So how can I advance if you don't give me no opponents? / How can you see the future if you're living for the moment? / Hip Hop couldn't die, / I never offer my condolence. / But I offer ya'll day of atonement."

Luda's arguably at his best on the DJ Premiere produced "MVP," which is also arguably the album's best beat. Premo provides that classic boom-bap nostalgia, and Luda laces this one with some of the albums dopest quotables:

"And my delivery's invading your vicinity. / Hennessey is my remedy. / Taking shots like Kennedy. / And I been a G / for a long time. / To these streets I'm connected like I'm on-line. / On time for whatever. / And every time an album drop, / I drop B.I.G. like Voletta."

I drop B.I.G. like Voletta???? It doesn't get much iller than that!!! It doesn't get much more visual than that!!! And, since The Notorious BIG was a large muttaskutta and giving birth to him must have been exceptionally uncomfortable (Voletta Wallace is Biggie's mother), it doesn't get much bigger than that!!! Now add the fact that Luda's sold over 15 million records world wide (no easy feat for any artist at any point in history, let alone during the recent record-sales recession), it doesn't get much truer than that. Ludacris is a beast. Ludacris is a beast.

"I don't do it for the cars and the fancy drops. / I do it for Hip Hop." - "I Do it for Hip Hop."

Rounding out Theatre of the Mind's best run is "I Do It For Hip Hop" - an ill, scratch-heavy cipher cut enlisting 2 of rap's titans - Jay-Z and Nas. Another great track. Each Emcee gets busy here, but in the end, Ludacris outshines both. Jay appears to have an interesting strategy though. Rather than attempt to go straight at Luda lyrically, he instead uses an old school flow, invoking Hip Hop nostalgia to leave his mark on the track ("Hip Hop / started out in the park. / We used to do it to avoid the narcs."). My cousin Sha pointed that one out. Nas kicks a cool little bumble bee analogy to describe how he's "as live as a hive full of predators," successfully netting him 3rd place.

"And their almost extinct / so I'm sayin' it loud. / MC means 'move the crowd'" - "Last of a Dying Breed"

15 tracks. Loads of guest appearances. 0 interludes.

All in all, Theatre of the Mind is a balanced, enjoyable, LP that will have your head-nodding as soon as you press play. You can clean to it. You can pre-party to it. Might be tough to slide into mack-mode, but you can definitely drive to it. Its combination of chick/club tracks, concept records, and cipher cuts adds up to a solid, diverse listen. Theatre of the Mind is one of the year's best Hip Hop albums, and arguably the most potent of his career.

And the more I think about it - I'm a bi-album Ludacris fan; meaning that I tend to get excited about every-other Ludacris album. Back For The First Time caught me off guard in a good way which made me excited about Word of Mouf (2001). But Chicken & Beer (2003), although more-than-nice in retrospect, wasn't on the priority list at the time. Then The Red Light District (2004) dropped and of course I had to cop that the first day. But I damn-near ignored 2006's Release Therapy, which is his most critically successful LP to date. Now here we are, late in '08, and for some reason I couldn't wait for this album. And thats because, for me, less is more with Ludacris. He's such a larger-than-life presence on every song, that it doesn't take much to OD. Theatre of the Mind's diverse sound scape does a solid job of minimalizing that trait, signalling replay-value potential (and it doesn't get any more important than replay value).

Furthermore, the fact that there is nothing ground-breaking, or career redefining here, or that Luda doesn't show us a new side of his person, his thoughts, his lifestyle, his anything isn't necessarily a bad thing. He still delivers a top-shelf product that embodies all of the reasons why you love Luda in the first place. His diversity. His ability to make you laugh, to make you bounce, to make you feel OK about screaming "move bitch, get out the way!" And most notably, the fact that he's a lyricist to the death - and he's got what you need. Ludacris, the last of a dying breed.

Rating: QQQQ

Rap Beef Breakdown

So My Cousin' Sha pointed out a highly potential emcee battle currently underway between 2 of the south's rap-titans rather inconspicuously. Think: Notorious BIG vs. NaS inconspicuous.

The Champion: Andre 3000
The Challenger: T.I.

I know. I know. Caught me off guard too. But once Sha laid it down, I cant front, it sounds highly probable. The lyrical jabs fly back-and-forth on at least two cuts: Andre 3000's verse on the "Walk It Out" remix, and T.I.'s on Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" remix.

The Jab: 'Dre's near classic verse on "Walk It Out" remix. Follow the bold text...



The verse:

"I walk it out like a usher. / If you say 'real talk' I probably won't trust ya /
If you want to go to war / the guns my pleasure. /
Even Jesus had 12 disciples on the level. / Trigger. / Whatever. /
Now think of Three-thou (3000). /
I'm like jury duty. / You're new to this part of town. /
Your white-tee, well to me / look like a nightgown. /
Make your mama proud. / Take that thang 2 sizes down /
Then you'll look like the man that you are, / or what you could be. /
I could give a damn about your car. / But then I would be, /
If was considered a classic before the drastic change in production;
When cars were metal instead of plastic. Value /
Is what I'm talkin' bout. / Take 2 of these and walk it out. /
You'll be the reason they chalk it out. /
You can't be The King in the parking lot forever. /
Not saying I'm the best but til they find something better /
I am here. No fear. Write me a letter.
Til then, I walk it out..."

The Break Down: First of all, that may be one of the tightest verses of all time just on delivery alone! (Andre 3000 is the greatest Emcee EVAR. Fact.) But when you look at the lyrics in another light, the references to the self-entitled-King-of-the-south are more than coincidental. Follow me:

Dre makes it apparent in the first 4 bars that he is on some emcee battle ish ('if you want to go to war, / the guns my pleasure. / Even Jesus had disciples on the level. Trigger. Whatever.'), but doesn't begin to get specific until the middle of the verse when he spits "your white-tee, well to me, looks like a nightgown" (an indirect snipe and T.I.'s tendency to rock the official Trap uniform - quadruple-extra-large-oversized-white-tee-shirt) and "I could give a damn about your car / but then I would be if it was considered a classic. / Before the drastic change in production. When cars were metal instead of plastic. Value is what I'm talkin' about" (a more direct shot at T.I.'s pre-house-arrest Chevrolet Impala SS endorsement. Remember those Super Bowl ads that ran a couple of years back?).

By this point the idea that Dre is going directly AT T.I. definitely sounds like a possibility. But the right-cross finally lands near the verses conclusion. Dre spits "You can't be The King in the parking lot forever. / Not saying I'm the best but til they find something better, / I am here. No fear. Write me a letter." That line is a blatant shove-in-the-mug at T.I. - who coins the moniker "The King of the South" and named his fifth Lp The King. T.I. feels he can call himself the King of the South because none of the other southern rap legends have ever questioned his self-entitlement. In his mind, if he can walk around screamin' that he is The King without anyone steppin to him then obviously he must be the best. Is it possible that Andre 3000 (who's legendary group Outkast has sold more 20 million albums world wide while re-inventing themselves artistically on each album over the past 12 years and is highly-regarded as the greatest rap duo in rap history) is a bit irritated by T.I.'s bravado? Doesn't sound far-fetched to me. And could it be that Dre wanted to ensure the message is delivered by ending the verse with "not saying that I'm the best but til they find something better, / I Am Here. No Fear. Write me a letter"? Well...you think about it.

The Counter Punch: T.I. verse on the "Superstar" remix. (T.I.'s spits last so let the video load completely, skip through Jeezy's verse, stop at Lupe's - pay homage and then slow down and listen to T.I.'s.) Again, follow the bold...



The Verse:

"Okay now. / Anyone who know me, they know me to ride /
But when the shit was selling slow it's just my homies and I. /
Had to get rid of all the phonies and the homies disguised. /
So you speaking, I don't reply, homie don't be surprised. /
You ain't gotta ride for me, I didn't ask you to. /
Take the journey on my own, I would gladly do. /
You gon' and turn around now, I'll call a cab for you. /
I stand up on my own 2, he kiss the ass of who? /
No way Jose, we pot Rose, blow dro, that's more than okay. /
See but don't say. My folk, they flip more yay than Cirque du Soleil. /
Keyser Soze, oh they kill people and get off like OJ. /
You catch your case, just shut your face, don't get caught singing do, re, /
Mi, fa, say, la, ti, do, ghetto hero, G-code I obey. /
He's so gay, didn't have no business hanging around me no way. /
It's okay, life lesson learned I suggest that you go your way. /
I be straight, no conversation man. That's all I'm gon' say (hey). /

The Break Down: First off, I gotta give props to T.I. for that verse. Lyrically it was on point and he FINALLY veered away from the same mundane flow he normally defaults to. The ish is tight alone, but again, when you look at the content in a rap battle context, it comes across as a reply to Dre's verse above. Keep following:

The first allusion appears when T.I. spits "had to get rid of all the phonies and the homies disguised. / So when you speak and I don't reply, homie don't be surprised" (a potential ironic reference that he doesn't intend to reply to Dre's jabs and-slash-or that 3000 shouldn't expect any love from him when they cross paths in the future. One or the other. Maybe neither). Then he gets more specific when he says "You gon' turn around now, I'll call a cab for you. / I stand on my own two. He kiss the ass of who?" (A sly comparison to T.I.'s solo career and the fact that Andre is one-half of the duo Outkast. I'd say that T.I. means that Big Boi has carried Dre over the past 12 years...he's not delusional. Thats just unrealistic...kind of like when Nas said Jay-Z was wack compared to Beanie Siegel in his diss track classic "Ether.")

Similar to Dre's verse, T.I.'s most specific allusions turn more directly towards the end of his verse when he says "don't get caught singing do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do, ghetto hero, G-code I obey" (a potential shot to Andre spending his half of the classic double disk Speakerboxx/The Love Below crooning about love and relationships). Then [The King?] closes his possible-reply with "He's so gay, didn't have no business hanging round me no way. Life lesson learned I suggest you go your way. I be straight, no conversation man. Thats all I'm gon' say" (a possible reference to Dre's style choices and that T.I. does not intend to further dual with Mr. 3000).

Clearly T.I.'s reference's to Dre's are a bit loser than Dre's to T.I., but the possibility that he is indeed responding to the "Walk It Out" verse still has legs. The question is why would T.I.P. try to brush off the battle rather than come more definitively. My guess that even though he calls himself "The King of the South", in his heart-of-hearts he knows that he is not his region's best emcee. T.I. has a lot on the line by stepping in the square against Andre 3000. Not only would he LOSE (re: lyrically sodomized), but T.I. has finally crossed the barrier between respected rapper to pop-culture success (remember he was the official sponsor for Chevrolet's Impala SS series...prior to getting arrested for possessing a-small-country's-weapons-armory-amount of guns).

Its like what Robert Wuhl said on his HBO comedy special "Assume the Position": when legend becomes fact, print the legend. T.I.'s career was built more on his image and trap-history than his talent. Because he possesses an ill amount of street credibility without having the emcee ability to back it up, he needs to be more strategic about who he faces in the square. And this isn't the first time he used this tactic. After helping to build his legend by running head on at lyrically-deficient-Houston-rapper Lil' Flip earlier this century once Flip questioned his crown at a show in Atlanta, Tip threw an opening shot at Ludacris on Young Buck's "Stomp" remix, only to retreat into reconciliation after peeping 'Cris's blistering reply on the same track. Paper Kings are wary of sharp edges...so they fold out of the way. T.I. is no dummy. He understands that to maintain the image of his title he must bob-and-weave around more-worthy contenders (similar to how Lenox Lewis retired as heavy weight champion rather than go-toe-to-toe once and for all with his only real competition, Vladimir Klitschko). Plus, his career is on hold since he is on house arrest. He can't afford to have anyone tapping on his tooth-pick-tower. This couldn't come at worse time for him. So he gives just enough not to look like a punk, while hoping to simultaneously diffuse the encounter.

Either way, Sha shed the light on this one for me and I appreciate it. Apparently Dre replies again on a track featuring Raekwon, but we couldn't find it on either of latest napster-replacements. Rest assured I will send it your way if we ever uncover it.

Carry on...

The Upside to the 1st Quarter

Something unexpected happened while in the midst of another 1st Quarter inexplicably void of major Hip Hop album releases (click here for The Quotable's 1Q 2007 rant) - I stumbled into a Big-Pun-load-of-upside.

Upside - an encouraging positive aspect (dictionary.com)

Since there weren't any major (read: highly anticipated) album releases to sink into, analyze, and internally debate whether or not they lived up to the build up, I was forced to raid record stores and dig into the e-crates in hopes of discovering something new...something fresh...something different. And what do you know, I did - ill ish in all mediums. So rather than hoard all of this dopeness for myself, leaving heads in ignorance; The Company Man steps back from hiatus with that ish for Quotable Nation to savor.

INTRODUCING THE COMPANY MAN'S UPSIDE TOP 6 UPSIDES TO THE DOWN QUARTER...and other randomness.

6. Celebrity Connect Four might not be as retarded as it sounds

I ran into this clip of Kanye West and Superbad's Jonah Hill playing Connect Four. Honestly...those two muttaskuttas made "chess for dump people" supringly entertaining. Check it out:



2 things stand out: (1) Kanye's remix of Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" is for real for real. Like, like that, like that. And honestly, the self-proclaimed Best Rapper Alive should smack himself in his tatooed eye-lids every time he even thinks of jumping on a track with the Louis Vuitton Don if he wants to keep the illusion of holding that title entact. For the second time in 9 months, 'Ye roasted Wayne mic to mic (don't forget the shalacking he laid on Wayne on Graduation's "Barry Bonds"). This verse here negates every bar Weezy laid on that track. Don't get me wrong, Wayne more-than-did-his-thing...its just that Kanye did his better.

And (2) Celebrity Connect Four might not be as retarded as it sounds. Given the right personalities in the right setting with the right amount of drugs and alcohol (for both contestants and viewers alike) - you never know what kinds of entertaining-ignorocity might spill out. Imagine Mike Tyson vs. Vince Vaughn. I think I'd pay to see that matchup.

On another note, aren't we about 4 years late on a Mike Tyson reality show?? When is that ish coming out? Seriously, I'd watch Mike Tyson do anything. And the show wouldn't have to be about the once-Iron-Mike struggling to make a potential comeback. Oh no, no, no. We need to keep this based in reality. It would only have to follow Mike on a day-to-day-basis and people would tune in. Imagine the terrified expression on the face of a reporter during an interview as Mike threatens to stomp on her children's testicals. Picture him eating cereal and talking to himself. Or rolling with him and his entourage making it rain in the strip club followed by the shook look on a stripper's grill as she leads Kid Dynamite back for a private dance (does he even have an entourage? I don't know. But these are things we'd learn about Mike on the show). The potential unintentional comedy is off the charts! Tell me I'm lying...

5. Just because music television stations no longer play music videos, it doesn't mean that great videos aren't still being made.

3 quick exaples:

A. Kanye West released the video for the Chris Martin assisted "Homecoming" dropped relatively on low, but honestly might be video of the year. Its simple and perfectly portrays the song itself. Even the cuts to Chris Martin (who, judging by the missing Chi-City in the background of his clips) fit. Check it for yourself:



B. "Rising Up" by The Roots featuring Wale (pronouced Wah-Lay) and my baby Chrisette Michelle (homegirl has the perfect voice. I think I'm in love with Chrisette Michelle) might be video of the year runnerup. The beauty shop backgrop is dope, and Wale came correct when Black Thought passed him the mic. Homie's been making some noise on the underground for a while now, but my boy Sean P introduced me to the DC Emcee's music a couple of months ago. What I heard then was nice...but not on point like this verse. The rhyme scheme is dope and the content is fresh. Tightest line: "So good rappers ain't eatin. / They Olsen-twinin'".



C. My man L-U-P-Emperor dropped, not one, but two videos off his chart-topping album, The Cool. I know I already posted these, but bump that, I'm posting them again, muttaskuttas. Because thats whats poppin in 2008! And congrats to Lupe for officially going gold with his sophomore album. 500,000 copies in 4 months in this economy is an accomplishment.

"Hip Hop Saved My Life"



"Paris, Tokyo"



Both videos are Cool (pun intended), but for some reason I don't completely trust Lu' without his specs. Its just feels awkward - like watching Snoop Dogg and his wife interact on his clearly-scripted reality show, "Father Hood." Theres something missing.

4. New Hip Hop-esque experiences

My homegirl Enid P over at All About Style convinced me to check out the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, and the ish was tight. Murakami is a Japanese artist slash designer that does a lot of work for Louis Vuitton. He also designed the album cover for Kanye West's third album, Graduation. Check out EP's illegal pics from the visit:

I don't whats more sad - the fact that someone old-school bootlegged a museum exhibit, or the fact that I posted a bottlegged museum exhibit on The Quotable. Either way, the video was animated by Murakami, just to give you a sample of his style.

Check out All About Styles coverage here.

3. Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" Remix featuring Young Jeezey and T.I.

Of couse Lupe's verse is ridiculous, but whats shocking is Young Jeezey's performance. I mean, for someone with a chronic case of lyrical deficiency, homeboy came correct.



2. Catching up on albums that you mightve missed

I bought a good amount of music this past quarter; following up on albums that I've heard about, but haven't had a chance to hear. Devin the Dudes's album Waitin to Inhale (probably the funniest/raunchiest album I've bought in years), Black Milk's Caltroit, MF Doom's Mmm...Food, Guilty Simpson's Ode to the Ghetto, Matt Costa's Unfamiliar Faces, and most notably Blu & Exiles Below the Heavens (review coming soon), all have a lot to offer - all definitely kept me fed during the annual 1st quarter famine. Some of these will get reviewed here at TQ, and some won't. But either way, all of which are quality.

And the number 1 upside to the down quarter...

1. Each passing day is one day closer to the 2nd Quarter.

Now the second quarter is the beginning of prime time new music season. Artists and record labels finally get it together and finally release new ish in the 2nd Quarter. Concert season opens in the 2nd Quarter. On the horizon in 2008: Kanye West's "Glow in the Dark Tour" featuring Pharell, Rhianna, and Lupe Fiasco, Lil' Wayne's habitually delayed The Carter III, Nas's controversial Nigger, Kidz in the Hall's The In Crowd, Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige tour, The Roots' anticipated Rising Down, Common's Invincible Summer, west coast beast, Crooked I's B.O.S.S. (definitely check that one. freestyle below), The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, Foxy Brown's comeback attempt Black Star Diva, Bun B's first album sans the passing of partner in rhyme, Pimp C - II Trill, Usher's Here I Stand, Nelly's Brass Knuckles...well maybe Nelly isn't the best example...but you see where I'm going with it.

Now meet Crooked I. Gone.









Carry on...