Street Dreams
Fabolous would have us believe he’s serving upStreet Dreams, but the Brooklyn rapper’s sophomore effort is more likely to rock the party than shake the boulevards. The F.A.B.O.’s smooth, deadpan flow cruises over benignly commercial beats (courtesy of Clue, Just Blaze, and Kanye West, among others), and the overall effect isn’t hard enough to stand up to "official" street-issue hip-hop (think50 Cent Is the Futureor anyM.O.P.release). Sure, Fabolous is not without charm. His straightforward delivery of the never-too-deep subject matter enhances slinky, slangy club joints like the Track Masters-produced "Damn" and the R&B-inflected; ballads "Can’t Let You Go" and "Trade It All Part 2." The album also features solid guest appearances byMissy Elliott(the electro-funky "Sickalicious"),Mary J. Blige(a retooling of her classic "What’s the 411" entitled "My Life"), and pop princessAshanti("Into You"), but the entire proceedings are stolen by the aforementioned M.O.P., whose verses on "Keepin’ It Gangsta" illustrate whatstreetis really all about.--Rebecca Levine