Ludacris
Battle of the Sexes
The rumor mill initially spouted that Ludacris’ latest concept album, Battle of the Sexes, would include him trading bars with Disturbing Tha Peace alum Shawnna for the duration of the Def Jam album. Turns out Shawnna is still on the album – unnamed in song titles – plus a small handful of chicks mixed with some dudes to create what sounds like a regular Ludacris album. Battle of the Sexes is an idea that lost momentum somewhere in the middle of its inception, and the result is a haphazard collection of cuts with no clear direction.
Even at its most simplistic execution, calling something a “Battle of the Sexes” would insinuate that multiple men and multiple women were involved. Luda postured himself as the one man standing to take out all of these girls on his album, and he doesn’t even do that successfully, especially when half of the tracks do not even feature women. The opening Intro provides the generic “do the fellas run this”-style chest-beating, supposedly setting the stage for this great battle. The opening song/single “How Low” doesn’t feature a female, but sounds like a splashy spring break track. What follows is “My Chick Bad”, ultimately the best song on the album featuring Femcee of the Year, Nicki Minaj. Nicki delivers as she should on this horror-infused single with lines like "Now all these bitches wanna try and be my besty / but I take a left and leave ‘em hangin’ like a teste(s)." Their giddy verb fight leads into the estrogen-lacking “Everybody Drunk” where Luda and Lil Scrappy sit around and talk about exactly what the title states.
“I Do It All Night” follows where an uncredited Shawnna challenges Luda to an oral sex contest and ultimately loses since he can’t even say her name. “Sex Room” with Trey Songz arrives, a sure to be summer anthem, but unless Songz is playing the female, there’s no woman present. The hook singer on the syrupy “I Know You Got a Man” with Flo Rida doesn’t count either. A pair of Ho’s continues – Lil’ Kim on the suffrage retracting “Hey Ho”
, where Kim’s over-animated rhymes make you forget she came before Nicki Minaj, and the dreadfully generic “Party No Mo” with Gucci Mane.
Luda wastes his cousin Monica’s chops on “Can’t Live With You” by attempting to make her sing in that nuvo-Mary J. Blige cadence. The ghost of Shawnna’s past lurks on “Feelin So Sexy” where she anonymously moans all over the track. The only song worth mentioning for the second half of the album is the “My Chick Bad” remix (sorry “Sexting”), where Luda uses up his well of women (Diamond, Trina and Eve) to throw them all on one song.
Ludacris duped the masses with Battle of the Sexes by off-putting the album’s initial concept with swishy party tracks amidst random ovarian song drops. Had this project been properly executed, it would’ve been unstoppable. Even in Luda talk, this album doesn’t touch Theater Of the Mind. Hopefully, Ludacris stays on track for his next project.
Even at its most simplistic execution, calling something a “Battle of the Sexes” would insinuate that multiple men and multiple women were involved. Luda postured himself as the one man standing to take out all of these girls on his album, and he doesn’t even do that successfully, especially when half of the tracks do not even feature women. The opening Intro provides the generic “do the fellas run this”-style chest-beating, supposedly setting the stage for this great battle. The opening song/single “How Low” doesn’t feature a female, but sounds like a splashy spring break track. What follows is “My Chick Bad”, ultimately the best song on the album featuring Femcee of the Year, Nicki Minaj. Nicki delivers as she should on this horror-infused single with lines like "Now all these bitches wanna try and be my besty / but I take a left and leave ‘em hangin’ like a teste(s)." Their giddy verb fight leads into the estrogen-lacking “Everybody Drunk” where Luda and Lil Scrappy sit around and talk about exactly what the title states.
“I Do It All Night” follows where an uncredited Shawnna challenges Luda to an oral sex contest and ultimately loses since he can’t even say her name. “Sex Room” with Trey Songz arrives, a sure to be summer anthem, but unless Songz is playing the female, there’s no woman present. The hook singer on the syrupy “I Know You Got a Man” with Flo Rida doesn’t count either. A pair of Ho’s continues – Lil’ Kim on the suffrage retracting “Hey Ho”
, where Kim’s over-animated rhymes make you forget she came before Nicki Minaj, and the dreadfully generic “Party No Mo” with Gucci Mane.Luda wastes his cousin Monica’s chops on “Can’t Live With You” by attempting to make her sing in that nuvo-Mary J. Blige cadence. The ghost of Shawnna’s past lurks on “Feelin So Sexy” where she anonymously moans all over the track. The only song worth mentioning for the second half of the album is the “My Chick Bad” remix (sorry “Sexting”), where Luda uses up his well of women (Diamond, Trina and Eve) to throw them all on one song.
Ludacris duped the masses with Battle of the Sexes by off-putting the album’s initial concept with swishy party tracks amidst random ovarian song drops. Had this project been properly executed, it would’ve been unstoppable. Even in Luda talk, this album doesn’t touch Theater Of the Mind. Hopefully, Ludacris stays on track for his next project.
one moment...
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Comments 92 posts
B1GP1MP1N:
You want old Luda? Then listen to his old CDs. Good but not great!
ts5000:
this album was originally supposed to be with shawnna then she left DTP
so it became a solo
everybody rates this album as alright
i think its cool
its far from bein his best work though
back for the 1st time is his best
Mattweezy:
Cant decide which album is worse..this or Release Therapy. This album has pooor subject matter, and lacks heart. However it has its bangers tho. Sexting is fuckin hilarious!!!
DJ Transition:
Luda is nice but I don't know what happened with this album. I thought Luda was gonna work with Shawnna on the whole album. Trey, Ne-Yo were nice on the album but yeah more females would be nice for the album and other stuff too.
word2thamutha:
Had to comment on this one cause its such a damn shame! Perfect waste of what I thought was a dope concept that would make a very dope album. I agree, when Shawna bounced this album should have been put away or at least put on hold. With that thought is it too late for a do over or Battle of the Sexes 2?
russellj502:
The review was right on point it think, if the title says Battle Of The Sexes then do it right by having, different male n female emcees on each track. Todays artist n the past, Maybe if he would have done it right it could have been a great album.
troubleniggggga:
lol harsh review but mad on point. idk wtf happened, but this is probably the first shitty luda album.
sever246:
not as bad as i thought it was going to be...but def. the worst album of his catalog
HiraMane689:
LUDA
juniorrrrrr:
daddy would be proud
dumbsmart:
Luda can spit. always can, always will. but this album was made for radio n since i dont listen to that i would give it 1 star but the intro track boosted it to 2.
waitin on Ludaversal
sfa:
5 mics
Jonesy:
Luda!
HiraMane689:
My rating again lol
HiraMane:
Look here, I've been a Ludacris fan since dude came out 10 years ago when I was eleven, and honestly, I sorely miss the old Ludacris. People was claiming, "Oh this album is the album he reverts back to pre-Release Therapy Luda" and they LIED. Yea he raps sorta like his old self on here, but I really didn't feel most of the songs. I agree with most of yall comments sayin this album should have been
chopped,dropped, whatever because Shawnna straight dipped on him. He should have took more time to work on Ludaversal, and came hard like he always did in the early 00's. This album is OK with some tracks you can replay, and I felt the same about Theater Of The Mind as well. I can only listen to like 5 out of the 14 or 16 tracks on this one. "My Chick Bad" is credibly the best song on this album. BTW, The only song I feel Luda proved he can be in the lines of these "great rappers" is "MVP", the best Post-Redlight District song he has done. If he gives us more of these "MVP" like songs and some OLD Luda on Ludaversal, then shiddd, its gon be the shit.
HiraMane689:
BTW I gave this album a 3 out of 5
Macerlesd:
k
Blazin Caucasian 1/2 man 1/2 amazin:
no faith in his albums.....stick with features on ppls singles. Bout the only time u come right n e more
Dj A+:
i think it a ok record for luda stating the time lude is a fun person who like to party talk about women. It the Atl it get a lot of play in the clubs in the Dirty South i love to part i love sexy women SOITGETSPLAYINMYRIDE
b:
LUDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
XxXGHOSTXxX:
t.i. where are u?
Shawarma:
The reviewer is right that the album had sooo much more potential, but even at that it's pretty dope, it's got some good tracks (see "i know you got a man" and "BOTS radio") where luda lays down hot verses. definitely worth a download, and a lot of fun to listen to
Fon Z:
album is aight... good songs here n there... I'm still waiting on that Ludaversal!
Luda STILL king of the South!
santi95eminem:
Not even close... He became just like Lil wayne, a stupid Rock/Pop/Rap or Hip-Pop type of music. Fuck these guys that are trying to change the game in the wrong way. Eminem, 50, Wu Tang (Wu Massacre comin soon) Nas, Dre, Jay-Z,, keep the game real.
Seem:
Imagine 3.5 X was my score. This album was a dissapointment in concept but wasn't that bad Luda delivered lyrically I think even if the beats we're ehhhh.
I like Luda but he isn't around the greatest but he really wanted to make that push with Theater of Mind and Release Therapy. I guess he needed to make more money so he decided to make a concept album and it's actually a pretty dope concept.
Then Shawna bailed so we're left with this. A concept album got turned into a Ludacris "Plan A" industry album: Club songs, Trey Songz croonery, and name drop songs of popular artists. (Gucci, Nicki) Whatever was left of the concept was dropped on the last two songs. It's sad cause this album sounded great when it was announced.
illmatikwill:
This album was whack. complete mass produced southern stupidiness. Absolute Garbage!!!!!!