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BAD BOYS II
(BAD BOYS/UNIVERSAL)
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P. Diddy’s latest display of sheer power is the Bad Boys II soundtrack, where he’s assembled some of hip-hop’s finest names for meaningless wild fun. In addition to Jay-Z, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Fat Joe, the rap impresario enlists fresh talent in the form of Loon and Da Band. He also offers up yet another posthumous cameo from his late friend Notorious B.I.G. Despite (or perhaps because of) the superstar line-up, the disc has its unexceptional moments. The Mario Winans/Foxy Brown collaboration "Pretty Girl Bullshit," with all its overproduced excess, is anything but pretty, and the Notorious B.I.G./50 Cent track "Realest Niggas" is a rote mix of bling-bling and street gangsta (including the requisite introductory gunshots). Both numbers are exercises in name exploitation. Still, this soundtrack’s two current hits — "La-La-La (Excuse Me Again)," a remix of Jay-Z’s "Excuse Me Miss," and "Shake Ya Tailfeather," with Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee — are infectious romps. The Blige track, "Didn’t Mean," brings some stirring soul to the party, as does the upbeat groove of Beyoncé’s "Keep Giving Your Love to Me." And the funky, Neptunes-produced "Show Me Your Soul" features something for everyone: P. Diddy and Loon rapping, Lenny Kravitz whispering, and Pharrell Williams screaming in a falsetto.
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