From the lyrical guru that blessed the world with such gems as, “Watch out for the medallion my diamonds are reckless/It feels like a midget is hanging from my necklace,” comes Battle of the Sexes, Ludacris’ 7th studio album.

Originally planned as a collaboration with former label-mate Shawnna (with whom he released the smash hit “Stand Up,” perfomed at their joint concert last year at Barton Hall), Battle of the Sexes had the potential to be an historic conflation of the chauvinistic male hip-hop world with its sassy female counterpart. When Shawna left Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam in 2009, the album became a solo project, losing its innovative ideal.

Luda does bring in a female perspective on certain tracks, notably “Hey Ho,” which addresses the male-female double standard in regards to promiscuity and features a verse from the fiery Lil’ Kim. The track, however, devolves yet another tale of the rapper’s sexual escapades. Even Lil’ Kim’s verse declares that she is the “only woman that can do it like men,” conceding to the male-dominated hip-hop world in which she dwells.

For the most part, Ludacris produces classic club tracks and fillers that serve to reiterate, yet again, how many girls he gets and how much money he makes. While “How Low” has already been deemed a dance-floor success and “My Chick Bad” has potential to do the same, none of the album’s tracks return us to Ludacris’ glory days, when his hilarious rhymes dominated the rap scene with their eloquence and wit. 

Make no mistake: Ludacris is a very talented rapper. Even in Battle of the Sexes, it is apparent how unique his flow is. He is able to be both fierce and rhythmic at the same time. He can articulate his thoughts poignantly through his dirty-south vernacular and far-fetched metaphorical mind. On Battle of the Sexes, however, his talents are masked. Once known for his grandiose verbal scheming, on this album Luda settles for the more mundane. 

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Ludacris — "How Low"