Tyga

With a CD sticker that boasts "the hottest export out of Compton since N.W.A," in actuality, Tyga shares more in common with Kanye, Soulja Boy, or T.I. than Eazy, Ice Cube, or Dre. His music could hardly be considered gangsta, despite his mean streets roots. Instead, the slick, polished pop-rap of No Introduction has the widest (or most mainstream) appeal possible. Aided by members of Fall Out Boy and their clique, Tyga enlisted executive producer Pete Wentz to carve out a niche of music that appeals equally to fans of emo-pop ballads and hip-hop party anthems, with beats provided by Patrick Stump, Stress, Evan Big Evil, and S*A*M & Sluggo. Pubescent girls looking for a new crush will be swooning over the tattooed bad boy with a soft side, as he gets vulnerable in an innocent tale of heartache ("Pillow Talkin'") and romanticizes puppy love in an updated appropriation of Slick Rick's "Teenage Love" ("First Timers.") Sweet lovin' isn't the only thing on his mind, though. His ultimate mission is to party and make people move, and he does just that with "Coconut Juice" and "Woww." "Hold your cup high move ya body/If you're twisted scream it loudly/Say hey yay yay hey -- hey yay yay" won't win him a Pulitzer and "Woww ever heard a sound like this?/Who you know that'll put it down like this/Woww ever move a crowd like this?/I don't think nobody sound like this" might make you wonder if he owns a radio or understands irony, but his voice is smooth, his attack is skillful, and regardless of the inherent lack of depth, the disc is a fun and easygoing romp, fitting for a Friday drive home or a trip to the club. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide