PowerBallin' (Explicit)
by Andy KellmanDelivered a little over a year after his multi-platinum debut, Powerballin' initially comes across as a futile attempt to position Chingy closer to the street and further away from pop. However, it eventually becomes apparent that the album is not much different in scope from Jackpot. Apart from further emphasis on fame and riches -- as indicated in the addition one more vehicle, three women, and a lot more jewelry on the otherwise similar cover -- what separates this from the debut is the high number of deflated hooks. So, in effect, it seems less pop-oriented. The Trak Starz are on board again, but they share a good amount of the production duties with a couple newcomers. David Banner produces and Nate Dogg assists on "All the Way to St. Lou," unsurprisingly one of the best tracks on the album. Most of the other guest spots are for naught, including a sleepwalking Janet Jackson appearance on "Don't Worry." Chingy does little ...