That boy Christopher Bridges has done quite well for himself since he came back for the first time 8 years ago. Now, with 3 Grammys, 6 albums and 15 million records sold, as well as 12 movies, and numerous businesses under his belt, Mr. Bridges, commonly known as Ludacris, is a different man with different goals and a new challenge to make a different album.

At this stage in his career, he no longer has the luxury of sticking to a formula, and regurgitation, but cannot run the risk of straying to far from his diehard base and newfound audience lest he find his creative initiative scrutinized like Kanye others did….just less successful. So it is that Christopher chose to try something new to him, but not foreign to us, putting a somewhat fresh spin on the age-old, career saving, ‘concept album’ concept.

Firstly, Theater Of The Mind is not a concept album. It is however theatrically themed with co-stars instead of features and a score in lieu of production. The script isn’t designed to make a movie with this one, just a seemingly random sequence of scenes, linked together by sonic similarity or conceptual categorization. This allows the songs to be self-sufficient in their purpose, and gives Luda the creative flexibility and freedom he desires. He also enlists an impressive roster of contributors and uses them to highlight his strengths and help him accomplish his goal.

After briefly re-introducing himself in the “Intro” (and paying due homage to TSS,) the album kicks right into high gear. “Undisputed” features boxer Floyd Mayweather taunting and training Ludacris as he spews a deluge of uppercuts. He reaffirms his position as a punchline champ on this track, showing that even though his lyrics may not be the most complex, and his lyrical brawn isn’t the biggest, he triumphs because he not only delivers punches harder than most contenders, but he swings relentlessly and consistently.

Making all due disclaimers with the previous tracks, he switches back into actor mode for “One More Drink,” a playful narration of his drunken escapades with miscellaneous mediocre women, where Teddy Pain delivers a surprisingly tolerable performance. Luda then ventures deeper into the realm of cerebral screenplay, playing off TV themes on “Southern Gangsta” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” as well as movie plots with “What Them Girls Like” and the Spike Lee directed “Do The Right Thing.”

Theater’s.. climatic conclusion truly merits the price of admission however, as DJ Premier blesses Luda with the score for “MVP” while Cris spits lines with the uptmost confindence like “Cuz I’m back with Premo on the track/takin’ it back to the essence/showing niggas how to rap…” Whereas “I Do It For Hip Hop” and the aforementioned “Do The Right Thing” showcase the talents of Nas, Jay-Z, and Common respectively and mandate a rousing encore at the sight of the curtain call.

Several locations such as the sexually charged scenes that are “Nasty Girl” and “Contagious” fall under the radar, merely because they are in some astonishing company. In spite of the magnitude of some of the featurettes on this album, he plays his star role magnanimously and pulls off a thoroughly commendable oeuvre, held back only by some of the less phenomenal, more disposable tracks.

For the most part, Luda has compiled a very impressive, congruent project here, complete with excellent production. a stellar cast, and very few major missteps. It may not be the album that will define him or his career, as it leaves something to be desired, but it is definitely a step forward and a step up for Ludacris, and proof positive that he’s amongst the game’s A-listers.

4 CIGARETTES

BONUS — Ludacris – Theater Of The Mind Bonus Tracks

Previously Posted – Notable Quotable – Ludacris’ “Intro” | I Do It For Hip-Hop