This Week on Billboard: Ludacris f. Pharrell - Money Maker

This Week On Billboard is where I unabashedly critique the current no. 1 hit on Billboard.com, the major yardstick for what's "hot" in music today. In order to simplify the review for those who don't want to read the whole article, each song is given a "!" rating, in which the finest grabs five of them.

Weeks in No. 1: 2

Weeks in Chart: 24

From the Release Therapy LP

!!

Maybe due to his new haircut or his new dedication to acting, Ludacris has gone on record as saying that his new album, Release Therapy, will see more mature offerings, stepping away from the bedroom rhymes of old. If that's so, then the album's first single, "Money Maker", is a way to ease the transition. It suckers fans, who are anticipating the Luda standard, for the purchase. It's literally his money maker.

Not that we can't take Ludacris seriously, but Ludacris is at his best when he's, well, ludicrous. Theoretically, this would be a type of track we're all accustomed to from his past singles and guest appearances, but it seems as if he's phoning in the verses here. Ludacris has specialized on delivering comically absurd punchlines; this time around, Ludacris seems disinterested because the punchlines are relatively mild--his now-extinct sense of humor was seemingly located in the cornrows he chopped off. The minimal Neptunes beat which involves heavy kick drums, clanging percussions and organ synths is competent; yet, it's subtle and doesn't merge well with Ludacris' abrasive baritone voice. It's safe to say that The Neptunes have composed better, booming beats for him ("Southern Hospitality" immediately comes to mind). I'm not concerned that Ludacris is growing up but, if he still intends to release club tracks, "Money Maker" shouldn't be used as a template. We all know that he's capable of something greater, more ridiculous.