Luke

The soundtrack to Luke's Freak Fest 2000 functions not as a showcase of Luke's rapping but rather a wide encompassing compilation of southern hip-hop with the electro bass sound and sexual agenda so often associated with the former 2 Live Crew leader. Luke does make some appearances on several songs but doesn't make much of an effort to monopolize the album. Instead, lesser-known rappers and some female divas populate the album, along with a large number of short skits that further establish an underlying ideology. If anyone stands out as the album's superstar, it has to be Jay "Ski" McGowan, a producer/rapper responsible for the majority of this album's booty-shakin' electro bass beats. McGowan's collaboration with 95 South, "What We Like," serves as a highlight, along with the dancefloor rocking, call-and-response anthem "Freak Shawty." Other moments of interest include the booty update of Minnie Riperton's "Loving You" by producer Robert "Reo" Owens and vocalist Sylvia and the entertaining but ultimately misguided skit, "Girls Talk Shit." It's nice to see Luke move away from his rap albums, which have become quite tired after reaching a summit with 2 Live Crew's As Nasty As They Wanna Be; unfortunately, little of this album can actually be attributed to Luke, though he slaps his name on the album. Ultimately, Luke's Freak Fest 2000 stands against any of Luke's solo albums in terms of booty-shakin' potential but isn't nearly as inventive as the ghettotech sounds of Detroit artists such as DJ Assaut, Mr. Dé, and DJ Godfather, who have taken Luke's music a step farther musically. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide