On “Getting Closer,” Tatyana Ali refers to a love as her best friend. Faith Evans longs to hear from a lost love (“Mailman”), and Breeze thanks heaven for a committed romantic relationship (“Hero”). On “Lucky Day,” Tra-Knox fondly recalls first meeting his lady, however . . .
The artist also believes she “came before in another lifetime.” Promiscuous sex is reserved for “special” men by MCLyte (“Keep It Movin'”), while Neutral’s contribution, “Chocolate Form,” drinks in a man’s lustful stares. Will Smith, Dru Hill and Kool Mo Dee team up on “Wild Wild West,” a glamorization of six-gun shootouts and the film hero’s sexual prowess (“Any damsel that’s in distress be out of that dress when she meets Jim West”). The central figure on “8 Minutes to Sunrise” is a gun-toting, womanizing drinker (and driver). “The Best”(by Guy) packs violent threats and a poorly bleeped f-word. Kel Spencer’s macho posturing includes the offer, “[I’ll] give you a full scholarship to the graveyard of your choice” (“I’m Wanted”). Set in the old west, “Bad Guys Always Die” features Dr. Dre and the heinous rapper Eminem enjoying marijuana, moonshine and gangsta-style frontier violence.
Wild Wild West heads south in a hurry. Rough language. Sexual immorality. Hateful aggression. Of even greater concern is the possibility that teens introduced to artists such as Dr. Dre, Eminem, BLACKstreet and Dru Hill will run out and pick up their miserable CDs, too.