Master P - Ice Cream Man (CD)

All Music Guide

After some underground recognition and a freshly inked deal with Priority, Master P wasn't exactly unknown by the time Ice Cream Man hit the streets, proven when the album debuted at number three on Billboard's RB chart with little to no press or airplay. This confidence reflects rather evidently as the rapper tries to make this album a bit thematic, casting himself as "Mr. Ice Cream Man." It's actually a rather witty analogy, as ice cream here represents crack. Furthermore, this album also represents what can be arguably seen as the final West Coast-sounding Master P album; the beats hit at a rather low-tempo with plenty of slow, flute-like synth melodies, bringing an ominous sound to the crack-dealing lyrical themes. As a rapper, Master P isn't any more talented here than he ever was, or ever would be, but he does perform effectively as a cinematic storyteller, entertaining listeners with his ghetto knowledge about drug dealing, making money, and keeping it real. The attempt at makin...g this a thematic concept album instantly differentiates it from his previous albums, yet also stands as the album's weakness -- Master P isn't as cinematic as he would like to think he is here. Even so, the rapper is only a step away from fully realizing his potential as a mass-producing dealer of the musical equivalent of crack: It's cheap, dirty, available, unsatisfactory, yet ultimately potent. - Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide Read more Less