Neptunes

The runaway production team of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are back with another large dose of ass-shaking grooves that will surely spawn hits by the truckload. By the look of things the duo, better known as the mighty Neptunes, had absolutely no trouble luring in some of the biggest names in hip-hop today to spit lyrical madness on their compositions. Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg and Nelly are just a small portion of MCs helping the beat-makers trying to retain their title as the most sought-after producers in modern music. You get two versions of the Neptunes on Clones: organic hip-hop as heard on the fantastic "Blaze of Glory” with the Clipse flowing on hand-claps and horn stabs, as well as the electro-heavy Dirty South style that Ludacris grunts to on "It Wasn’t Us” that makes the girlies stick out their rumps in the club. Both are very appealing and show the diversity Pharrell and Chad possess when it comes to making cuts that will please everyone, though the un-listenable cheese that engulfs the punk rock riffs surrounding Spymob’s "Half-Steering” and the High Speed Scene’s "Fuck ‘N Spend” will have hip-hop cats scratching their heads. Other highlights on Clones come at the end of the record as the Neptunes make Dirt McGirt sound just as good as that dirty bastard did the last time they produced his slurring skills. Closing shop is the untouchable skill of Nas accompanied with Kelis as the pair manages to shine bright on an otherwise average track, thanks to their incredible talent. There’s no doubt that the Neptunes can create a hit song in their sleep, but they’re not always magicians that can make hip-hop fans get fresh with punk rock or make us fall in love with Vanessa Marquez.