▪ MYSTIKAL "TARANTULA" ALBUM REVIEW

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▪ MYSTIKAL "TARANTULA" ALBUM REVIEW

Mystikal "Tarantula"

Reviewer:	Alabama Slamma
Rating:
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Ex No Limit Solider Mystikal just released “Tarantula” and while die hard Mystikal fans won’t be disappointed, “Tarantula” wont be attracting any new fans or adding anything positive to Mystikal’s musical repertoire.

The 16 song collection starts off with “Bouncing Back, a James Brown-inflected banger which is also” the album’s 1st single. It features a bouncy jazz beat that’s catchy and provides a great background to Mystikal’s screaming rapid-fire flow.

Next is the title track, which features the crooning of Dogg House Records artist Butch Cassidy. The collaboration comes out average, as the West Coast singer sounds a little out of place wailing over a southern beat.. Tracks such as “Pussy Crock”, ”Oooh Yeah”, and “Go ‘Head” sound remarkably alike, and all fail to duplicate the success of last year’s club banger “Shake Ya Ass”.

The whole album has a party feel, and the songs come out very hit and miss. The one thing that stays constant as it does through all of Mystikal’s albums is his voice. His vocals are extremely impressive, but could have been showcased better and are downright wasted in some songs such as “Go Head” where he raps in a choppy awkward flow as he’s obviously slowing down to accommodate the strong R&B presence on the track. There is a strong blues and jazz presence on this album, and while its admirable that he tried to blend in other styles of music, the end result is less that favorable.

Mystikals label Jive, is a pop powerhouse and not known for their rap. Mystikal’s subject matter is obviously watered-down, and if you listen to some of his old albums his content is a lot more murderous. The albums best songs, “Paper Stack”, “Bouncin Back”, and “I Get it Started” featuring Method Man and Redman, occur when Mystikal sticks to his guns and employs the formula that got him his current level of popularity. The best thing about this album is just hearing Mystikal’s voice. There is no one like him in the rap game, and he brings energy unlike anything or anyone else. Unfortunately, the beats on most of the album are repetitive and do little to bring out the best in Mystikal.

If you are a fan of Mystikal you would definitely want to pick this cd up. If not, I would recommend waiting for the next one, when hopefully he will have found himself and the musical style that fits him best in his post-No Limit days.