Ludacris — ‘Theater Of The Mind’

Ludacris is back in the usual way for his sixth album, “Theater of the Mind,” a project which feels like all the other albums released by the Southern rapper.

The only major difference on his latest work is that almost every track features another rapper.

Most notably, T-Pain, Chris Brown, The Game, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z come out and help Luda deliver the lyrics and beats. Even with the help of all these other rappers, Ludacris was unable to change the persona of his album.

After hearing the song “What Them Girls Like” on the radio, I was skeptical if this album could pull through with such a weak jumping point. With an obnoxious and overly repetitive chorus, the song did not cause any enthusiasm.

The other tracks on the album, however, were much more enjoyable, including the hit “One More Drink.” Most other songs hold the same attitude and enjoyable lyrics as in past albums.

“Undisputed” displays the creative use of lyrics and beats to describe how highly ‘Cris thinks of himself. Another high point is “Southern Gangster,” which again shows his strength and creative syncs between lyrics and beats.

There are no surprises on this album. The beats, lyrics and attitude seem familiar, and for good reason. It’s been played out before. This isn’t necessarily bad; it’s nice to hear something that resembles his previous work.

However, it’s also pleasing to hear some experimentation on a new album, especially from such an established member of the genre.

“Theater Of The Mind” is decent, but really offers nothing new.