Title: Tarantula
Product review: Production gurus the Neptunes worked with everyone short of Wayne Newton in '01, but it's hard to imagine a better topper for their trademark staccato club beats than Mystikal. The raspy-voiced N'awlins rapper adds a raucous jolt of soul to the Neptunes' high-tech backings, and the combination that produced Mystikal's breakthrough hit "Shake Ya Ass" last year is just as effective this time around. If you want subtlety, go elsewhere: the Dirty South has seldom been dirtier than on Mystikal musings like "Pussy Crook" and the James Brown-style "Go 'Head." And while some in the hip-hop world whine about the folly of patriotism in wartime, it's not surprising that the Desert Storm vet takes a refreshingly different view of American ass-kicking on "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against The Wall)." True, Mystikal's singlemindedness can sometimes be limiting--the best he can do for diversion is a silly rhyme about SUVs--but matched with grooves this strong, it's not much of a handicap.
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