E-40

The good news is that E-40 still makes jarringly strange and instantly addictive hip-hop. From the loose sub-bass farts of "I'm on One" and "Got Rich Twice" to "40 Water"'s spandex flows, there's an elasticity to the best tracks here, a mixture of fluidity and propulsion that demands a physical reaction. The bad news? When 40 tries to flatten out the kinks and quirks and make more traditional pop-hop songs, the results are embarrassing ("Give Her the Keys," "Hood Boy"). The mediocre material makes this one of his weaker albums, though not without its pleasures.