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James' Top 5

1) Screwed Up w/Lil Flip
2) Hoes In My Room w/Snoop Dogg
3) Stand Up
4) Diamond In The Back
5) Blow It Out


He isn't funny any more   March 22, 2004
 23 out of 33 found this review helpful

Yeah, yeah, I know. People are gonna say I'm hatin' on Ludacris. But I remember after this album came out, a lot of people said that it was worse than Disturbing Tha Peace's album, and I was like, "That's possible?" Then I listened to Chicken N Beer for myself, and I said, "Oh."

Actually, whether or not this album is worse than DTP's album is really debatable, but whether or not this album is good in itself sure isn't. Luda used to be hilarious in his rhymes (and skits), but now his material comes off dumb and sometimes even vulgar. Check the "Black Man's Struggle" skit, where the "struggle" turns out to be straining to take a dump. Wow, what a laugh riot.

This album only has one really decent song: "Stand Up" (yes, I hate to admit it, but that song is starting to grow on me). Too bad I can't say the same for the rest of the songs. There are a lot of filler tracks, like "Diamond In the Back", "Eyebrows Down" (with Tity Boi and Dolla Boy, whoever that is), and the obligatory hard-times-growing-up track, aptly titled "Hard Times". That song also features M.I.A.s 8Ball and MJG, with a hook provided by fellow M.I.A. Carl Thomas. And their performances neither help nor hurt the song.

But the rest of the songs on here are terrible. The Snoop Dogg-assisted "H**s In My Room" is stupid, "Screwed Up" (with Lil' Flip) is just that, and "Hip Hop Quotables" contains none. I had to fast-forward past "Splash Waterfalls" because I said, "Man, I can't listen to that song again." And I'm sorry, but Chingy is not convincing as a hardcore thug, so that's one reason why "We Got" fails (notice I said ONE reason; the song was pretty uninteresting to begin with). And why is the "Southern Fried Intro" longer than most of the songs?

Overall, I don't think this album is as great as it's been hyped up to be. Luda still sounds all right on other people's albums (check his verses on Usher's "Yeah!" and Chingy's otherwise horrible "Holidae In", for example), but for his own it seems like he's lost his charisma. When and if he gets it back, I'll be ready to give him another chance.

Anthony Rupert


*sob*   May 13, 2004
 18 out of 28 found this review helpful

It should go without saying that this album is just more run-of-the-mill, generic pop-rap for rich high school "whiggaz" who wear oversized Rocawear leather jackets, drive stupid little "soooped-upp" rice burners (complete with a bunch of useless, flashy lights) like in that witless dreck "Fast And The Furious", talk like Porky Pig, and have IQ's lower than their shoe size. So why bother writing a review?

Simple. Something just hit me. Something very disturbing and sad. My generation (I am a high school senior, about to graduate) will probably go down as the dumbest one yet. I'm gonna let that sit for a minute.

You all right? Probably, but I'll give that a little more time.

OK, back to harsh reality. My generation is definitely going to go down in history as the stupidest one so far. Why? Easy. We bought into junk like this, Good Charlotte, emo, other rap-pop, Vin Diesel movies, the OC, etc. Also, the majority of the rich white suburban kids acted as if we were from Compton. I mean, buying into Duran Duran 20 years ago is one thing, but THIS? This makes Duran Duran sound like Led Zeppelin.

This spew makes me wish this were 1974. In my opinion, that's when pop culture hit its peak. We had Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Steve Miller Band, Golden Earring, etc. on the top of the charts, and we had nothing but pure American muscle for cars. It must have been so great. But noooo, it has to be 2004 for me...

I know this is going to be a VERY unpopular review. I know within a week, it'll say "0 of 1,285,284 found the following review helpful:" above it. Fine with me. I'm just stating a fact. So once again, I say avoid. And boycott this (...)

(Please note that I do not/never did buy into any of the spew I listed above under what my generation did, and I am obviously not a "whigga". I say "us" because I am a part of my generation whether I like it or not.)


Where are the Dominoes??   November 11, 2003
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

The name alone let's you know the agenda for this CD. This is for the fellas on Saturday afternoon chillin. The only thing he left out was the dominos and we would have been straight, This CD follows the pattern of "Word of Mouf" and gives you straight dirty south tracks. Luda is not a Gangsta rapper and unfortunately the playful nature of his lyrics aren't usually taken serious. But don't get it twisted. This dude is as creative as any rapper out there. He starts the CD with "Southern Fried", his "I'mdaschiznit" song of the CD. Nice guiter riffs on this song and his trademark Twista rapid flow.. 'Blow It Out" follows the Luda pattern of intro songs with metaphoric analogies, with a crazy hook(see "Go To Sleep" from the WORD OF MOUF CD). "Stand Up" is typical Luda first single, something catchy for the clubs but never his best material. Straight for the radio. I love the hook but that's where my attention drops on this cut. Track 6 "Hard Times" features 8 Ball and MJG. Really love this cut, especially 8 Balls verse. This is the Luda, "life is or was a biotch" portion of the CD. This cut is followed up by "Diamond In The Back". Another growin up in the hood cut. Sounds like something that should have came of the Fat Albert soundtrack or something. Luda really switches his flow up here. And of course the "Be Thankful" sample is nice. "Screwed Up" w/Lil Flip is a disappointment, just not feelin the song. Once you hear the chorus though you'll know you'll hear this song for a minute in the cars bumpin next to you at the stoplight. Track 10 "P-Poppin"....Man...the ultimate strip club cut. Shawna sounds really good on this track, as probably any female would based on the subject matter. At this point I loved the choice of the next track, "Hip Hop Quotable". The soul of this song is straight East Coast, which is a cool transition from the dirty dirty cut just previously played. Track 13 "H... in my room" is the comic relief of the CD. Perfect Luda/Snoop cut. "Teamwork" is his "freaky tales" collaboration to the CD. The flute sound effects are pretty cool. "Eyebrows Down" is his autobiographical cut. Pretty cool, from infancy to the present. Nice wrap up song. If you like Luda you'll love Chicken and Beer. Symbolically and literally.


Ludacris is the tightest out ATL....   October 8, 2003
 9 out of 11 found this review helpful

OK...at first I was dissapointed the first 5 songs are just OK. But then I got into that Ludacris vibe and they were great:

1) Southern Fried Intro (8/10) Fast spittin' and good lyrics
2) Blow It Out (7/10) The worst Ludacris song I've ever heard (Still gets a 7 tho)
3) Stand Up (8/10) It was a 10 when I first heard it but now it's kinda old
4) Splash Waterfalls (9/10) Luda talks about the diff. between loving and f****n'
5) Hard Times (7/10) Full of feeling....a differant, more mature Ludacris
6) Diamond In The Back (8/10) An old skool beat and a real "Groove" feeling
7) Screwed Up (9/10) Tight beat and Lil' Flip rips it southside style...
8) P-Poppin' (7/10) Didn't like this song since I heard it...maybe it's just me
9) Hip-Hop Quotables (10/10) No Hook. Metaphors. I laughed the whole time
10) Hoes In My Room (9/10) Cool song....funny and nice get back at O'Riley!!
11) Teamwork (10/10) Like What's Ur Fantasy cept better
12) We Got (10/10) Everybody on this kills it!! Chingy and Luda rip the track!!
13) Eyebrows Down (8/10) The story of Luda's life..wit luda's humor added...

TOTAL (110/130) = Buy it!!!