Word Of Mouf [PA]

Performer: Ludacris
Artist: Nate Dogg; I-20; Fate Wilson; Three 6 Mafia; Keon Bryce; Sleepy Sleepy Brown; Jazze Pha; 4-Ize; Mystikal; Shawnna; Jagged Edge; Twista; Chimere
Engineer: Chris Theis; Kevin Parker; Bill Importico; Ismel Ramos; John Butler; Jason Rome; Josh Butler; KLC; Mike Wilson; Sean Davis; Senator Jimmy D; Derrick Williams
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel includes: Ludacris, Nate Dogg, Mystikal, 8 Ball & MJG, Jagged Edge, Twista, 3-6 Mafia, LL Cool J, Keith Murray, Shawnna, I-20, Lil Fate, 4 Eze. Producers include: Timbaland, Organized Noize, Swizz Beatz, Trackmasters. WORD OF MOUF was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. "Rollout (My Business)" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Male Rap Solo Performance. Personnel includes: Ludacris, Nate Dogg, Mystikal, 8 Ball & MJG, Jagged Edge, Twista, 3-6 Mafia, LL Cool J, Keith Murray, Shawnna, I-20, Lil Fate, 4 Eze. Producers include: Timbaland, Organized Noize, Swizz Beatz, Trackmasters. WORD OF MOUF was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. "Rollout (My Business)" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Male Rap Solo Performance. Personnel: Ludacris (vocals, rap vocals); Shawty, Roxye Dock, 4-Ize, Parish Williams, Jeff Williams , Mimi, Scarface, Shondrae (vocals); Marvin "Chanz" Parkman (piano); Jazze Pha (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Duro; Jimmy Douglass; KLC; Mike "Hitman" Wilson; Patrick Viala. Recording information: Dungeon Recording Studios, Atlanta, GA; Hypnotized Minds Studio, Memphis; Manhattan Center Studios, New York, NY; Noontime, Atlanta, GA; Patchwerk Recording, Atlanta, GA; Quad Recording, New York, NY; The Hit Factory, New York, NY; The Medicine Cabinet, Baton Rouge, LA. Photographer: Butch BelAir. Ludacris' second album for Def Jam, Word of Mouf, is a superstar affair that aims for mass appeal with a broad array of different styles. Nearly every track features some sort of collaborator, either hitmaking producers like Timbaland and Organized Noize, big-name rappers like Mystikal and Twista, hook-singing crooners like Nate Dogg and Jagged Edge, or fellow Disturbing tha Peace group members I-20, Shawnna, Lil' Fate, and Tity Boi -- and sometimes a combinations of these various ingredients. The resulting album is surely impressive, propelled by lively production, colorful guests, and an omnipresent touch of humor. More hilarious than before, Ludacris lightens his lyrical style here, leaving behind much of thuggishness that had characterized his previous album, Back for the First Time, in favor of witty puns and sly innuendoes. A particularly humorous highlight is the previously released (on the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack) single "Area Codes," a tongue-twisting, good-spirited Jazze Pha production. Less humorous though likewise standout is the lead single, "Rollout (My Business)," a rallying Timbaland production with a simple yet inescapable hook. Other highlights include the Organized Noize-produced booty-shaker "Saturday (Oooh Oooh!)," the Jagged Edge-sung "Freaky Thangs," and the Beats by the Pound-esque posse track "Move Bitch." There's also a hidden bonus track here that's likewise an explosive collaboration, the Jermaine Dupri-led "Welcome to Atlanta." There are a lot of highlights here; however, amid all of these various team-ups you do lose a little bit of the sincere, personal edge that had characterized much of Ludacris' debut. Even so, it's overall a worthy exchange, since there's something here on Word of Mouf for everyone, signaling Ludacris' leap from the Dirty South underground to the pop-rap mass market. ~ Jason Birchmeier For this Atlanta-based rapper, keeping true to street roots has never been a concern, since he's always remained so close to them. Far from the east and west coast hip-hop star mills, this southern sensation rose up from the underground and never abandoned what he'd learned there. His third album WORD OF MOUF may find Ludacris surrounded by a brace of guests that include both heavy hitters (Mystikal, Jagged Edge, Nate Dogg) and more unknown names (Sleepy Brown, Keon Bryce, Fate Wilson), but he draws on his own considerable verbal skills and unique urban vision as the foundations for his work. For this Atlanta-based rapper, keeping true to street roots has never been a concern, since he's always remained so close to them. Far from the east and west coast hip-hop star mills, this southern sensation rose up from the underground and never abandoned what he'd learned there. His third album WORD OF MOUF may find Ludacris surrounded by a brace of guests that include both heavy hitters (Mystikal, Jagged Edge, Nate Dogg) and more unknown names (Sleepy Brown, Keon Bryce, Fate Wilson), but he draws on his own considerable verbal skills and unique urban vision as the foundations for his work.

Rolling Stone (1/17/02, p.53) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Alternates between bleak, nearly joyless hardcore and verbalistic hip-hop slapstick....he sounds like he's having a blast..." Rolling Stone (1/17/02, p.53) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Alternates between bleak, nearly joyless hardcore and verbalistic hip-hop slapstick....he sounds like he's having a blast..." Q (1/02, p.104) - 3 our of 5 stars - "...more hits to follow....he can certainly mix it..." Q (p.137) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]he beats still bounce and, crucially, there's a sense that he doesn't take himself too seriously." Q (p.137) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[T]he beats still bounce and, crucially, there's a sense that he doesn't take himself too seriously." NME (Magazine) (2/2/02, p.27) - 7 out of 10 - "...Consolidates on his initial sex-rhyme success, while giving a more rounded picture a life lived below the Mason-Dixon Line..." NME (Magazine) (2/2/02, p.27) - 7 out of 10 - "...Consolidates on his initial sex-rhyme success, while giving a more rounded picture a life lived below the Mason-Dixon Line..."

Atlanta, Georgia-based rapper Ludacris was a local success story. As a former intern on an Atlanta radio station, he became known for his theatrical station IDs. In 2000 he parlayed this notoriety into a successful debut album that he self-marketed throughout the Southern states. The album caught the attention of Def Jam South label president Scarface, who signed Ludacris to be the first artist on the new label. Fitting into the Dirty South rap genre, Ludacris follows in the footsteps of Mystikal, Master P, and Silkk the Shocker.

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