Blade 2
The rap-rock-electronic collaboration has become a mainstay of the industry. Yet as cool as it is to hook up artists from disparate genres, sometimes these fusions look better on paper than they actually sound. Not so this project, which finds A-list rappers (Busta Rhymes, Bubba Sparxx, Rah-Digga, et al.) joining forces with topnotch electronica heavyweights like Crystal Method and Roni Size. There's much to dig here, but there are a few glaring missteps. Witness "Cowboy," in which the flamboyance of Fat Boy Slim's rubbery funk only underscores Eve's lyrical weaknesses. Also iffy is "Getting Aggressive," which reduces Mystikal to background noise underneath Moby's intrusive onslaught of rhythm. Better balance is found on Mos Def and Massive Attack's intense cover of Bad Brains' "I Against I"; a ghetto-fab but gritty partnership between Jadakiss, Fabolous, and Danny Saber; and Gorillaz and Redman's giddy "Gorillaz on My Mind." Credit everyone involved for delivering a soundtrack album that is much more than tie-in product.--Amy Linden