Summed up in one word, Ludacris' fourth solo album, 'The Red Light District," is confusing. On one hand, it has the sort of club-moving anthems and comical lyrics that the Southern "gentleman" has built his reputation on, but on the other hand is forced, molded radio rap that seems absolutely unnecessary.
The inescapable single, "Get Back," is of the former; hooky enough to stay lodged in the head for days and tough enough to make Bob Saget feel like a hustler. It may seem a farfetched comparison, but Ludacris is the Lynyrd Skynyrd of radio rap.
Seriously.
His tough, more gangster, songs like "Get Back" and "Put Your Money," are in the same mood as Skynyrd's "Gimme Back My Bullets." His half-serious, all-hilarious party jams like "The Potion" and "Pass Out," are like the classic rock legends' "Gimme Three Steps."
Not to mention that both pay homage to their roots; Ludacris with "Welcome to Atlanta" and Skynyrd with "Sweet Home Alabama."
"The Red Light District" does have its minor faults. "Spur of the Moment" has a classic beat, perhaps a nod towards Ice Cube and earlier Snoop Dogg, but those similarities border on insincerity coming from Ludacris, who has managed to sound sincere in everything he had previously released.
A similar fate befalls "The Red Light District" on "Child of the Night," which has samples and techniques being used on a few of the more popular hip-hop records, namely Talib Kweli's "The Beautiful Mistake" and Kanye West's "College Dropout."
Still, "The Red Light District" rises above those faults. The album's guest list, with DMX, Sleepy Brown, DJ Quik, Trick Daddy and Nate Dogg, is long and distinguished, highlighted by "Virgo," a track off Nas's "The Street's Disciple," which features Mr. Jones and old school innovator Doug E. Fresh.
