Released:  October 7th, 2003

Recorded:  2002 – 2003

Genre:  Hip-Hop, Southern Hip-Hop

Record Label:  Disturbing tha Peace / Def Jam

Duration:  60:22

Producers:  Ludacris and Chaka Zulu

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Chicken -N- Beer is One of My Favorites

Similar to Obie Trice’s Cheers, Ludacris’ Chicken -N- Beer is one of the albums that began to pique my interest in rap circa 2004, and still stands a relatively consistent and entertaining piece of work.  (See my article on Cheers for my commentary on how I believe that most rap musicians have yet to master the album format.)  There are a few low points (I could do without the skits, especially “Black Man’s Struggle”) but overall the music is strong.  Ludacris’ previous 2 albums were decent, though he really develops and refines his style on this third studio release.

The strongest element (as it should be) is his skill as a rapper.  He tears through these tracks with precision and a comedic tone.  Not only are the lyrics funny, but it’s the way that he actually says things that often make me laugh, such as the words “stop” and “drop” in “P-Poppin'” and “MOVE OVA!” in “Stand Up.” There’s a lot of “adult humor” here, a bit much for some critics, though there’s a certain cleverness that Ludacris brings to the table.  He isn’t just saying irreverent stuff for shock value, he’s wrapping it up in a hilarious package for comedic effect.  While there are some “gangsta” tracks dotted around here and there, I’m much happier with the lighter, party-oriented approach.  There may not be anything profound or any deeper meaning to find hidden behind songs like “Screwed Up” or “Blow It Out,” but the album is full of variety and always remains a fun listen.

Where most rap albums falter is not the fault of the performer, but rather the quality of the beats and how well they play to the MC’s natural strengths.  Luda excels when working at lightning-fast speeds, and for the most part, the album plays to his abilities (“Splash Waterfalls” and “Hoes in My Room” are the only big exceptions).  “Southern Fried Intro” is a great example of just how fast he can spit while still maintaining a discernible rhythm and enunciating enough to be understood.  Not every song is a hit, though I can appreciate the most of the beats are highly distinct and thankfully clear the record of any notions of monotony or dullness.  The hooks stay catchy in the interest of radio friendliness, and many of the beats are injected with an infections sample or loop.

“Blow It Out” is one of the angrier tracks, where Ludacris speaks out against his detractors and takes a special stab at Bill O’Reilly as well.  “Stand Up” features one of Kanye’s best beats ever (I tire of his soul-influenced mid-tempo hits) and some of Ludacris’ wittiest lyrics.  It’s impossible to ignore a song that kicks off with, “How you ain’t gon’ fuck? / Bitch I’m me!”  It may be a simple party song, but these lines are packed with impressive wordplay (“The owner already pissed cuz we sorta late / But our time and our clothes gotta co-ordinate”) and great punchlines (such as the opening).

“Screwed Up” appropriately borrows its bizarre sound from the “chopped and screwed” style of remixing that became popular in the early 2000’s.  For anyone who’s ever lived a lifestyle of “partaking” for any length of time, they’re sure to enjoy this ode to herb.  The chorus is almost brilliant in its simplicity, with the call and response, “Fuck you! (fuck you…) Fuck you! (fuck you…) Fuck you! (fuck you…) Fuck you! (I’m screwed up!).”  “P-Poppin’,” built entirely around a lyric from Mystikal’s “Danger!” (and  a sample thereof), stands out with its 80’s reggae-like backing instrumentation.  Again, Luda’s flow and lyricism are dazzling even if the material is nothing new.  I wish there was more Ludacris and less guest appearances here, but it’s still a highlight of Chicken -N- Beer.  

“Teamwork” might just be my favorite.  A number of things come together to produce a stellar track; the vocal “echoes” during the chorus, the flute sample, and even the female moan used as part of the beat all coalesce in a hyper sexual romp that wraps up all the best parts of porn into a piece of music.  The way he triumphantly declares that, “I make women cum harder than jacuzzi jets!” is one of the funniest single lines on the album, and a fairly clever if not crass comparison to boot.

Most of the other tracks are decent as well, certainly a notch above most of the non-single tracks on most rap albums.  “Hip Hop Quotables” has a number of great lyrics (“Chrome Depot,” “Cuz I go on blind dates with actual blind people,” “They made the mold of the penis enlarger off me,” and more), and “We Got” and “Eyebrows Down” demonstrate more of Luda’s impeccable flow.

Chicken -N- Beer may not be a perfect album, but it is a pretty good one, especially in its genre.  The main draw is Luda’s delivery and style, a talent that has noticeably matured since Word of Mouf and his largely inconsistent sophomore effort and major label debut Back for the First Time.  His brilliance would roll over to 2004’s The Red Light District, but he sort of lost me a couple of years later with Release Therapy.  At any rate, Chicken -N- Beer is a bright spot in what was already a progressive time for hip-hop.  It’s not necessarily full of classics, nor would I say that it’s peppered with duds.  I’ll probably always have an attachment to this record because it was one of the releases that really caught my attention while I was still pretty resistant to rap in general, but hey, that ought to speak for something in and of itself.

Written by The Cubist

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