Bad Boys II [Clean] [Edited] (CD - 2003)

"Shake Ya Tailfeather" won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.

Original score composed by Trevor Rabin.

"Shake Ya Tailfeather" won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.

Personnel: LaToiya Williams (vocals); David Cabrera (guitar); Tony Dofat (keyboards, programming); Stevie J. (keyboards); Mario Winans (programming).

Audio Mixers: Supa Engineer "Dura"; Gimel Keaton; Rob Paustian; Mike Patterson; Diddy; Paul Logus; Rich Keller; Sean "Puffy" Combs; Red Spyda.

Recording information: Baseline Studios, New York, NY; Basement Beats Studios, St. Louis, MO; Circle House, Miami, FL; Daddy's House, New York, NY; Master Sound Studios, VA; Quad Recording, New York, NY; Sony Studios, New York, NY; The Church, Long Beach, CA; The MTV House, New York, NY; The Pad, Manhatten Center Studios, New York, NY; The Record Room, Inc., Miami, FL.

The BAD BOYS movies are brought to you by irrepressible producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay, whose films display awe-inspiring action over all else. Who better to bring the star-studded soundtrack for BAD BOYS II together but hip-hop's crown prince of extravagance, Sean "Puffy/P. Diddy" Combs? P. Diddy emcees a wild party as both luminaries of the rap and R&B world drop in along with a healthy collection of up-and-comers.

The soundtrack opens fittingly enough with the "Bad Boys" themselves, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, playfully fumbling over the familiar Inner Circle hit. Then Combs arrives in grandiose style with a track of his own, featuring Lenny Kravitz, classic Neptunes production, and N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams' deft instrumentation, as well as additional vocals by Loon. In fact, the lesser-known Loon frequently steals the show, particularly on a solid duet with the master Snoop Dogg, "Gangsta Sh*t," along with his own solo banger, "Relax Your Mind." Other standouts include emphatically soulful songs by Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, a deft combination of rap's past and present on the Biggie and 50 Cent track, and Freeway's brash "Flipside."

The BAD BOYS movies are brought to you by irrepressible producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay, whose films display awe-inspiring action over all else. Who better to bring the star-studded soundtrack for BAD BOYS II together but hip-hop's crown prince of extravagance, Sean "Puffy/P. Diddy" Combs? P. Diddy emcees a wild party as both luminaries of the rap and R&B world drop in along with a healthy collection of up-and-comers.

The soundtrack opens fittingly enough with the "Bad Boys" themselves, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, playfully fumbling over the familiar Inner Circle hit. Then Combs arrives in grandiose style with a track of his own, featuring Lenny Kravitz, classic Neptunes production, and N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams' deft instrumentation, as well as additional vocals by Loon. In fact, the lesser-known Loon frequently steals the show, particularly on a solid duet with the master Snoop Dogg, "Gangsta Sh*t," along with his own solo banger, "Relax Your Mind." Other standouts include emphatically soulful songs by Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, a deft combination of rap's past and present on the Biggie and 50 Cent track, and Freeway's brash "Flipside."

Rare is the feat that a hip-hop movie soundtrack can be explosive and feel as if it's a solid cohesive album, rather than a showcase for various artists to use throwaway tracks as cash cows. But Bad Boys II breaks both of these rules by assembling a mighty lineup that could very well be unprecedented in terms of sheer commercial star power. The album wastes no time and starts off with a one-two bang courtesy of a Neptunes-produced track featuring Pharrell, Lenny Kravitz, and P. Diddy on "Show Me Your Soul" and Jay-Z delivering one of his most fiery vocals in ages with "La La La." And there's no sign of letting up from this point, with contributions from diva Beyoncé, Fat Joe, Nelly, and 50 Cent featuring a posthumous appearance by the Notorious B.I.G. Biggie's delivery is so pure and potent that it's a reminder of how significant his contribution to modern rap was, and how sorely he is missed. Things tend to slow down a bit from here, courtesy of laid-back grooves from Snoop Dogg and Foxy Brown, and Justin Timberlake doing the best white-boy imitation of D'Angelo ever with "Love Don't Love Me." With Puffy as executive producer and an all-star lineup like this, one would expect nothing less than a superb album that delivers the goods, and even with minor filler this steps up and is more than equal to the task. [This soundtrack was also issued in a clean fashion for those with a sensitive constitution to excessive profanity.] ~ Rob Theakston minimize