REVIEW: Ludaversal x Ludacris

There was a time when Ludacris was one of my favorite rappers. His brash and cocky attitude, boisterous beats and unapologetically Southern demeanor, coupled with his undeniable skill, made listening to a Ludacris album a reliably enjoyable endeavor. Plus, anybody that knows me knows flow goes a long way with me, and not many rappers have a more consistently effortless flow than Luda. This winning combination kept him in pretty constant rotation for me for the better part of 8 years. Even when it started to become pretty obvious, around the time of Release Therapy, that he was trying a bit too hard for "serious" respect, his natural talent helped to overshadow the blatant pandering to audiences that had complained about his lack of depth on previous releases.

So I'm not exactly sure at what point it all went off the rails. With Theater of the Mind, he seemed to hit that balance of seriousness and fun that he missed on Release Therapy. But then came Battle of the Sexes, a shallow and rather annoying album that seemed designed only for club play and really had little to offer to fans of good hip hop, and lazy guest verses for the likes of Justin Bieber, R. Kelly, Chris Brown, My Darkest Days, and even Jason Aldean--the songs all being as terrible as the hosting artists' reputations would betray. Luda began prepping Ludaversal, his next studio album, as early as 2011, but it was delayed repeatedly and with the subpar material Luda had been a part of, a lot of people just stopped caring. There was a mixtape here and there over the last few years, but overall it seemed that Ludacris had faded away.

Then, what seemed like suddenly to me, since I had all but forgotten about it, Ludaversal had a release date, album artwork, a few very high quality singles, and a leak, each hitting the scene faster than I could catch up with the one before it. Suddenly, here I was, anticipating this album I thought would never see the light of day; his last good album was 8 (!) years ago and yet he seemed poised for a comeback.

And let me tell you, it was worth the wait. The album starts off with a bang on the David Banner-produced "Ludaversal (Intro)" which features Ludacris revisiting the double- and triple-time flow he injected into the raucous "Southern Fried Intro" from Chicken n Beer, and I can't remember a time his delivery has sounded crisper and more focused. The first half of the album is Ludacris flexing his mic skills solo, with no guest appearances on the first 8 tracks. He talks a bit about where he's been the last few years on "Grass Is Always Greener," calls out wack MCs on "Call Ya Bluff" through "Beast Mode" and gets drunk and high on "Get Lit." The album takes an introspective turn here, and instead of the light-and-fluffy social consciousness he had attempted on the likes of "Runaway Love" in the past, we get Ludacris opening up about his own life, something he had shied away from in the past. He laments a strained romance on "Good Lovin'," an interesting topic since we mostly know Ludacris for "Pimpin' All Over the World," and it's surprising to hear him speak so frankly about heartbreak, longing, and love for his children. He discusses how he lost his way in music and also in life, for so many years, in "Not Long," which is also notable for being a truly soulful beat from David Guetta, a producer I've only ever known for microwaved dance-pop; and covers shady label execs in "Charge It To The Rap Game." But the most poignant moment is the touching tribute to his late father in "Ocean Skies," where he mourns the loss of his father and admits to inheriting Dad's issues with alcohol and letting himself get carried away with it after his death.

The album closes with a victory lap in the Just Blaze-produced "This Has Been My World," which also features a poem from the illustrious Big Rube. The album also features several excellent mid-tempo bonus tracks with guest appearances from Rick Ross, Cee-Lo Green, John Legend, and even Aldean.

With Ludaversal, Ludacris has really hit his creative stride, for arguably the first time in his career sounding just as comfortable pouring his heart out on wax as he does calling out wack rappers. This is possibly his most balanced album and without a doubt his most mature, and a serious contender for best album of this year so far. If you were like me and believed Luda was done for, I can't recommend checking this out enough. Don't call it a comeback!

FINAL SCORE: 4.5/5.0
Highlights: Grass Is Always Greener, Ocean Skies (feat. Monica), Not Long (feat. Usher)




Oh hey, bonus content.

Two other anticipated albums came out this week, and I couldn't miss a chance to drop some feedback on those too.

MR. WONDERFUL x ACTION BRONSON
Action Bronson is back with his major-label debut, bringing more of his quirky personality, hilarious braggadocio, and excellent ear for beats to Mr. Wonderful, which features production from long-time Bronson cohorts like Statik Selektah, Alchemist, and Party Supplies, among others. Bronson experiments a bit on this album, even singing on occasion, and the results hit more than they miss.
FINAL SCORE: 4.0/5.0
Highlights: Terry, Falconry (feat. Meyhem Lauren), C. Baby Blue (feat. Chance the Rapper)

I DON'T LIKE SHIT, I DON'T GO OUTSIDE x EARL SWEATSHIRT
The Odd Future rapper drops his sophomore album, although notably without his OFWGKTA brethren backing him up (the Left Brain-produced "Off Top" being the only contribution from anyone else in the crew). Earl's rhymes are every bit as dense and dexterous as ever on this outing, but he's also maintained his tendency towards a sleepy delivery, and with it now being almost totally self-produced, the beats match the rapping. Don't come here looking for energy, but if you're a fan of what Earl does, you won't be disappointed.
FINAL SCORE: 3.0/5.0
Highlights: Wool (feat. Vince Staples)