Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

8Ball is a Memphis rapper who has been around for well over a decade, dropping joints intermittently throughout. LIGHT UP THE BOMB is an ambitious project that results in what is arguably his best work to date.

8Ball is Dirty South, from beginning to end, with an emphasis on Atlanta crunk though 8Ball mixes it up a bit. His mixes aren’t quite as dense as say, Li’l’ Jon’s muddle, and that’s good. “Battle Field,” which features Dirt Bag and Bigg Gipp, is representative of the non-crunk joints, with a piano and flute riff underpinning the spits. The deeper one gets into LIGHT UP THE BOMB the more interesting and diverse it gets; “Let It Be Known” for example, features a rap over what, I swear, is the melody to “They Can’t Take Away Our Music” by Eric Burdon and the Animals. It’s subject matter is a hilariously obscene admonishment concerning STD. Actually, now is as good a time to mention as any that the Parental Advisory sticker which so prominently graces the cover of LIGHT UP THE BOMB is not there for display purposes. 8Ball is…well, he’s really dirty. This is definitely not the type of thing you want to be playing on the car stereo while you're driving your daughter’s church youth group to the local Six Flags, or anywhere else, for that matter. But with a title like LIGHT UP THE BOMB, you weren't expecting Pat Boone, were you? In any event, what raises this project a notch or three above the pack is 8Ball’s judicious choice of samples, probably best exemplified by the fat, funky guitar licks on “This Ain’ That.” The biggest surprise, however, is the appearance of Juvenile on “The Greatest,” which, on LIGHT UP THE BOMB, is indeed.

Dirty South, and LIGHT UP THE BOMB, is not for everyone, even those who are otherwise fans of hip-hop. This disc is certainly worth a listen, however, as an example of an effort to bring the hard core with attention to production values. Come get you some.