Xtra Naked
By the time Shabba released this sophomore Epic LP, his comedic sex machine persona was honed to perfection. From the opener, "Ting-a-ling"--a great uptempo dancehall jam--through the other 11 tracks,Xtra Nakedlives up to its title with nonstop sex and microphone boasting. "Bedroom Bully" is fun, but, again, the duets with R&B; artists, like "Slow and Sexy" with Johnny Gill, try too hard to cater to American tastes and come off as merely cheesy. Queen Latifah and Shabba in "What 'Cha Gonna Do?" seem to be voicing two different records. "Cocky Rim" is typically lewd, grimly so, with nary a hint of levitating wit. As for those over-the-top moans, groans, and "please don't stop's" in the background--puhlease, Shabba, puhlease!--Elena Oumano