In which Nate visits the greatest transport terminal in music video history…
[Video]
[7.78]
Kat Stevens: I’m not very good at gardening (even our mint plant died of an awful fungus) but a few of my friends have allotments and I occasionally help out with some weeding in return for the odd roast potato. As a result I am slowly building up my collection of hoes in area codes (currently up to #4). Technically they are post codes and not area codes but the premise is still valid.
[8]
Martin Skidmore: Ludacris is one of my favourite rappers, partly because of how ridiculous he is, and this is a beauty. It tells us how many hoes he has, in all sorts of telephone area codes, with Nate singing a particularly well-judged, sardonic hook and lovely counterpoint. But it’s Luda’s song, and it makes me smile a lot, even when he is just listing codes.
[9]
Alfred Soto: Fingersnap percussion and gum crackin’ rhymes – this is the good life.
[8]
Jonathan Bradley: Luda and Nate Dogg do the Carmen Sandiego thing across the 50 states (and a few cities in East Asia). Nate philosophizes over the basis of his appeal, advancing the hypothesis that his gangsta nature is the underlying cause, and missing the quite obvious possibility that his mellifluous tones could have more to do with it. Luda doesn’t need to wonder: he’s certain his coverage is better than that of AT&T and Verizon combined because of his ability to insert the syllable “ho” into almost every word that comes out of his mouth. If I had that linguistic ability, I don’t doubt that I would correspondingly possess similar quantities of ho. In conclusion, I propose there is little question as to why this pair managed to commandeer such affection, and I feel no qualms about endorsing this exercising in espousing their respective talents.
[8]
Alex Ostroff: Area Codes is five minutes and change of one-note puns, but it’s delivered with a boisterous glee and intricate rhymes that Ludacris would do well to rediscover. I mean, “perpendicular vehicular HOmicide” shouldn’t work, yet it somehow does. The beat is subtly masterful, coasting in the background with bouncing flourishes and grace notes. Meanwhile, Nate croons the smoothest and most ridiculous chorus he’s ever sung, and a bridge pondering why women just won’t let him be — my guess is that it’s his ability to make even an ode to all the other women sound luxurious and vaguely romantic.
[10]
Al Shipley: Always thought this song was somehow less than the sum of its parts, and one of Luda’s first singles that was merely okay and not particularly exciting.
[5]
Asher Steinberg: There’s something a little inert about this song — it seems to hit its blissed-out peak at the beginning and then just flatline the rest of the way — but it’s nice to be reminded that Luda could once really rap, and that Jazze Pha used to have a gift for making pleasant little acoustic, countrified beats. Nate does some of his simplest, and therefore best, work here.
[7]
Ian Mathers: I admit, I much prefer the kind of similarly themed “Pimpin’ All Over the World”, but that one definitely suffers from a lack of Nate Dogg. This one is like a cool breeze after yesterday’s selection — not that there aren’t any issues, but at least Luda seems to be actually enjoying himself (not to mention getting a couple of actually funny lines in). Maybe it’s because Luda’s such a great ft. artist himself, but this is one of the few tracks I can think of where Nate isn’t the unquestioned highlight on the track (although his lead turn is nicely done). It hasn’t aged quite as well as I’d have thought (or as the superlatively breezy “Pimpin’” has), but it mostly holds up.
[7]
Zach Lyon: Really, this might be more misogynistic than “Ain’t No Fun,” given that Luda spends the ENTIRETY OF THE ENTIRE SONG either punning “ho”/”whore” or listing off numbers that are meant to stand in for actual human beings. You could write essays about his last verse, if you can call it that, where he seems to be going through his phone in an attempt to leave no ho behind (for some reason my entire state is represented). Your mileage here will probably rest on your tolerance, and if you’re not offended you might find it hilarious in its utter novelty. With the delivery and execution of the thing, it’s like it’s going out of its way to be inoffensive in spite of itself. In 2001, I loved it. I was 13 and didn’t listen to rap lyrics, but Nate’s hook was so melodiously brilliant and singable and the video had pretty ladies in it. And Nate’s verse! “Is it ’cause they like my gangsta walk? Is it cause they like my gangsta talk? Is it cause they like my handsome face? Is it cause they like my gangsta ways?” I feel crappy saying “these songs are misogynistic” and then giving them high scores which isn’t usually my bag, but there you go.
[8]