Rush Hour 2 - Soundtrack ( AUDIO CD )

Rush Hour 2's mixed bag of prefab sounds seems more like a corporate merger than an artistic effort. The concept: Raid Def Jam's stable of battle-scarred veterans (LL, Scarface) and next-up's (Musiq, Christina Milian), add appearances by some genuinely hot names (Snoop, Jill Scott), throw in a couple of outside-the-genre celebrities (Japanese superstar Hikaru Utada), and--as Nate Dogg croons on "Paper Trippin'"--get to stackin' cheese. Frenzied production can't overcome the overall low-energy vibe. Ludacris's filthy-but-funny "Area Codes" is fairly catchy, as is Meth's Biggie-referenced "Party & Bulls***." Macy Gray helps turn a Slick Rick classic into an interesting big band lullaby, while Jill Scott and Jazz's "Love Again" is little more than a postmodern Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway impersonation. LL's "Crazy Girl" is, hands down, the worst song he's ever done. But here's the good news: Keith Murray's still the most 'beautifullest' thing. Even Rockwilder's synth-based beat can't take the edge off of the Def Squadian's musical reentry. Welcome back, Keith.

CONDITION: NEW! Marked down notched on csase.

TRACK LISTING

1 Area Codes - Ludacris
2 Mine, Mine, Mine - Montell Jordan
3 Party & Bulls*** - Method Man/T.R.
4 No - Kandice Love
5 He's Back - Keith Murray
6 Love Again - Jazz
7 Keep It Real (Tell Me) - Musiq/Redman
8 Crazy Girl - LL Cool J
9 How It's Gonna Be - Lovher
10 Paper Trippin' - WC
11 You Make Me Laugh - Christina Milian
12 Mercedes Benz - Say Yes
13 Blow My Whistle - Hikaru Utada
14 Figadoh - Benzino
15 I'm Sorry - 3rd Storee
16 Brollic - FT (F*** That)
17 The World Is Yours - Macy Gray/Slick Rick