Ludacris: Theater of The Mind

Chris Bridges, in 2008, is more talented than ever. His new career as an actor has been a recent focus of his, and it showed with the mixed focus on Release Therapy. What failed, ironically enough, was the lack of focus from a seemingly more focused rapper. Moving from songs like “Money Maker” to “Runaway Love” to “Do Your Time” just seemed much too unorganized to make up an enjoyable album. Still on his acting grind, Luda has created another unsettling piece, Theater of the Mind. It is essentially his most cinematic and animated release, but this doesn’t necessarily equal a hit. Although it does have some ridiculous bangers and a more energized Luda on it, it suffers from plenty of filler. At times, Theater is the perfect blend of the old grimy ‘Luda‘ and the new attitude ‘Chris,’ and other times you’ll just be begging for the end credits to role.

The fact of the matter is that Luda is generally very consistent at delivering inconsistency. One of this most constant forte’s has been the intro for each one of his albums and it is no exception here. The “Intro” tied in with the Don Connon banger, “Undisputed,” make for a mouthwatering opening action sequence filled with fury, anxiety, hunger and energy that sadly, is not matched by the rest of the album. “One More Drink” is fairly catchy and surprisingly likable, but fits terribly in between “Wish You Would” and “Call up the Homies.” The aforementioned “One More Drink” taken with the annoying “What Them Girls Like,” skippable “Nasty Girl,” and the painful “Contagious” make parts of Theater much too hard to get through. The subject matter throughout that span is obviously off course as well.

At least the listeners are treated to a great ending ranging from great production by Wyldfyer and 9th Wonder and on point features from Lil’ Wayne and Common. Performances by Nas and Jay-Z pale in comparison to the verse Ludacris spits on “I Do It for Hip Hop,” in fact, none of the unnecessary 13 co-stars steal scenes from Luda. The highlight of the LP is the collaboration between the two southern Chris’s on “MVP,” despite the obviously incorrect statement by Luda: “I’m the first Southern rapper on a Preemo beat.”

The cinematic experience of Theater is trampled frequently by the co-stars. Sadly, they take valuable screen time away from Ludacris, and in typical fashion, he demolishes the guests anyways. The filler doesn’t end with the guest; the number of out of place and off-key tracks is high and unacceptable for an artist who is trying to assert himself with some elite company in hip hop. It is a valiant effort put in by Ludacris and when he does deliver on this album, it is some of his best material since “Back for the First Time.” Unfortunately, the listener has to suffer through plenty of boring and repetitive scenes until Theater finally hits its climax and ends with a bang, only to see the curtains close on it.

Overall Score: 73/100

Standout Tracks:

“MVP”

“Last of a Dying Breed”

“Do The Right Thing”

“Undisputed”

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