Barnes & Noble
There are a number of reasons why Shaggy has been the most enduring artist to come out of the dancehall reggae scene, including his natural exuberance and his ability to tap into the best musical impulses of a wide array of collaborators. The most important factor, though, must be his unparalleled ability to fuse steamy eroticism with winking good humor -- making him the most likable lothario out there. Clothes Drop offers plenty of the Jamaica-born, Brooklyn-bred performer's trademark lustiness -- which comes through on "Wild 2Nite" (a tune that lets him spar with 50 Cent's duet partner Olivia) and the disc's title track, an ode to nakedness that gets an added dose of aphrodisiac from Sly and Robbie's bass-heavy production. While remaining true to his dancehall roots, Shaggy takes a few sonic side trips on Clothes Drop, as on the jazzy "Ultimatum," which has a vibe reminiscent of conscious hip-hop pioneers like Digable Planets. He's at his best, though, when his main concern is shaking butts, and tracks like the pulsating "Supa Hypnotic" (featuring Nicole of the Pussycat Dolls) accomplish that goal with ease. Guaranteed to work up quite a sweat -- which is always a nice way to get anyone's clothes to drop. David Sprague
All Music Guide
Trying to please everyone, Shaggy knocks an excellent album down to just a very good one by overstuffing the otherwise inspired Clothes Drop with bland filler. An hour plus, the album contains 40 to 50 minutes of inspired Shaggy with the swashbuckling singer dividing his time between swaggering business as usual and surprisingly non-pop, non-slick numbers that are welcome reminders of how deep he can go. The polished boasting and bragging on the opening "Clothes Drop" is no big surprise, but the minimal and bubbly production from Sly & Robbie is fresh and exciting. The pace is kept up with some raw dancehall -- the pounding "Broadway" with its brittle Barrington Levy sample is especially tasty -- before things get much slicker. "Wild 2Nite" takes the singer into the perfect-fitting world of G-Unit with special guest Olivia, and "Supa Hypnotic" is the first of two stylish winners with the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger, the saucy "Don't Ask Her That" being the second. Up to this point, Clothes Drop juggles the crossover and the genuine well, but generic concessions to bedroom R&B and a empty collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am are forgettable and have no place on this otherwise excellent album. That two of the most heartfelt and poignant numbers from the artist close the album makes this all the worse, but you only have to do a little trimming to make Clothes Drop one of his best. David Jeffries