Say what you want about D-Roc and Kaine, the brothers who make up the group Ying Yang Twins, they know how to get a dance floor packed or a stripper pole put too much use! With their many radio friendly anthems and simplified choruses, they have been pivotal in the South’s current status as head of the rap class. And with their recent success behind the single “Wait (the whisper song)” off their latest album U.S.A. (United States of Atlanta) they continue to give you just what you’re looking for…and a little bit more; some worth the effort, some no so much.
The new album sets out to show that they are more than just rump shakers on an extended gentleman’s club getaway. And right out the box they hit with Anthony Hamilton on the introspective “Long Time,” where they discuss everything from GOD to their place in rap’s history. With “Live Again”—featuring Maroon 5’s Adam Levine—the duo deliver a thoughtfully, striking mid-tempo groove dedicated to the hardworking stripper. This time around they aren’t just eyeing the T & A, but telling her very poignant tale.
Though these cuts strayed from their usual fare, they actually seemed on to something.
Then they go and mess things up with weak interludes and forgettable offerings like “Pull My Hair” and “Bedroom Boom” (with Avant), which seem more intent on cashing in on the success of “Wait” than anything else.
However, a return to form and plenty of guest spots highlight the second half of this 23-track opus. B.G., Jacki-O, Pitbull, and Mike Jones all help to deliver dance floor ditties that are sure to get the people crunk and wet up in the club. Unfortunately, the high profile remix to “Wait” with Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, Lil Scrappy, and Free (of BET’s 106 And Park), doesn’t work as well.
In short, fans will be pleased by the collection, critics will be (at least temporarily) appeased, and if you don’t know the group, this album won’t do much to pique your interest.
