Pras' single, "Ghetto Supastar," was omnipresent in 1998 on radio, on MTV and blasting from car stereos, and with good reason; it's an absolutely irresistible combination of funky bass and drums, excellent rapping from Pras and ODB and angelic singing by Mya. He apparently was under a lot of pressure to produce the full-length follow-up, and the result is a scattershot, throw-in-the-kitchen-sink approach. You get the single, 11 more songs, versions of "Hallelujah" and "Amazing Grace" and a whole bunch of Pras' answering machine messages (four tracks totaling 12 minutes -- a bit much). That said, Ghetto Supastar isn't half-bad. Aside from the title track, highlights include "Can't Stop the Shining," featuring reverb-heavy guitar from Lenny Kravitz, the tense, minimalist "For the Love of This" and the trippy "Murder Dem," with its stuttering rhythm and strange sound effects floating through the mix. Pras' cause is furthered throughout by crisp, clear production with an emphasis on the low end. With a little editing, Ghetto Supastar could've been a killer; as is, it's an entertaining slice of R&B-oriented hip-hop. Some versions of Ghetto Supastar include a four-track bonus disc credited to the "Refugee Camp Navy SEALS"; this is pretty forgettable stuff and not worth going out of your way to find.
© Bill Cassel /TiVo