Atlanta's
Baby D might not be the world's least prolific rapper, but his release schedule has certainly been slow, just three albums over eight years. Seeing as how the 2008 release date of A-Town Secret Weapon found him sitting in jail awaiting trial on cocaine trafficking charges, it probably just got slower. It's a shame really because besides all the obvious reasons, Secret Weapon just doesn't have that end to end excitement his debut had and more importantly, it does squat for his long term potential. Instead, it goes for the quick buck with plenty of tired Southern rap devices yielding a handful of memorable singles rather than a memorable artist. "Big Boy Whips" is a rims-loving anthem that sticks in the head, "I'm Bout Money" is a glorious "make it rain" track that throws the big bills in the air, and "Girls Gone Wild" is a convincing smooth slow ride past any object of attraction that has you feenin'. These highlights are just as riddled with clichés as the tiresome, plentiful filler and you can't say the problem is the production -- DJ Montay did almost everything -- or the rapper's performance -- he delivers every track with spark and conviction. Instead, it's the overall idea of casting this previously scrappy hood as a radio endorsed superstar since his most satisfying and natural sounding work has been down in the gutter and fully committed to the dirty dirty. Ravenous fans of the Southern hip-hop might want to give the album a passing glance and folks who remember the man from back when will be excited when the album pops. Everyone else should stick to the singles. [A-Town Secret Weapon was also made available in a clean version, with all explicit material removed.] ~ David Jeffries