Tropical Storm

08/29/2002 9:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Dan Leroy

While his old rival Bounty Killer scored the coup of appearing on No Doubt's huge hit "Hey Baby," Jamaican deejay Beenie Man sounds primed for American success on his own album. That's due in part to stateside hitmakers the Neptunes, who lend their golden touch to a handful of tracks here.

It's a particularly effective pairing, since the duo's stripped-down, staccato electronics owe a huge debt to dancehall--although even Janet Jackson can't make "Feel It Boy," a harmless piece of summer fluff, more substantial. Underscoring Beenie's crossover attempt is "Fresh From Yard," a DJ Clue-produced bit of hip-hop slackness that matches the star up with nasty girl Lil' Kim. But don't discount the reggae portion of the program; with island impresario Tony Kelly involved in much of the album, songs like "Party Hard" and "Pure Pretty Gal" strongly affirm the tropical origins of this storm.