Ice T Presents Pimpin 101 (The Soundtrack) CD

This is definitely a curious release. There are no real liner notes and no real explanation of Ice-T's role in this record, other than the fact he's "presenting" it. However, upon further investigation, this appears to be a soundtrack to an XXX straight-to-DVD release featuring the man himself as the narrator through the world of pimps and prostitutes. While the video might be striking, there's nothing too original about the soundtrack. It appears to be a bunch of up-and-comers representing several styles of rap, including Dirty South, West Coast, and a little bit of hip-hop thrown in for good measure. Guest appearances by Rampage, Brand Nubian, and a hysterical Busta Rhymes make this compilation a bit more interesting, but not enough to save it from living in the average. Easily the highlight of this soundtrack is the presence of the dirtiest man in the business: Kool Keith. His track "We Gambinos" doesn't necessarily flow with the sexually suggestive tone of the majority of the soundtrack, but provides a breather for those who might have tired of the rampant misogyny by track 15. Overall, it's not a bad album, but it's not anything worthy of outstanding either. It's also of note that there is no sign of Ice-T anywhere on this release, which is unfortunate, as his skills could have taken this from being just another straight-to-DVD soundtrack to a release with some sort of substantial potency. Only for serious fanatics of the movie, or people really curious to hear what pimp rap sounds like. ~ Rob Theakston

Busta Rhymes/Ron Lyonz/Dirty South/Kool Keith/Cuban Link

Performers include: Amil, Busta Rhymes & Rampage, Ron Lyonz, Mop, Felix Sama, Dirty South, Kool Keith, Cuban Link.