Tropical Storm

1	Party Hard 4:00
2	Feel It Boy 3:27
3	Bad Girl 3:53
4	Real Gangsta 3:28
5	Fresh from Yard / Lil' Kim 4:33
6	Miss L.A.P. 4:04
7	Street Life 3:27
8	Gangsta Life 4:35
9	Pure Pretty Gal 4:17
10	Bossman / Sean Paul 4:05
11	Yagga Yo / So Solid Crew 3:53
12	More We Want / Devonte 3:36
13	You Babe 3:39

Barnes & Noble

The dancehall champ makes his latest crossover bid with Tropical Storm, a potpourri of urban rhythms from reggae to R&B to rap. Abetting the DJ the girls dem sugar is Janet Jackson, who adds a vocal hook to the single "Feel It Boy," one of three tracks produced by hitmakers the Neptunes, as well as reggae regulars Lady Saw and Sean Paul. Lil’ Kim contributes to the sultry "Fresh From Yard." The split production pits U.S. and Jamaican talents, including producers DJ Clue, Dave & Tony Kelly, Shocking Vibes and vocalists the Soul Solid Crew.

All Music Guide

The latest from dancehall superstar Beenie Man is a complex and rewarding exploration of the many musical and lyrical themes that tie contemporary reggae and hip-hop together, from the increasingly similar beats to the rudeboy/gangsta continuum that has been a feature of reggae since the 1960s and of hip-hop since the 1980s. Dancehall "slackness" (i.e., sexually explicit lyrics) has its modern counterpart in hip-hop as well, as Beenie Man's duet performances with Lil' Kim and Lady Saw here demonstrate. Some of the most powerful tracks on Tropical Storm find Beenie Man chatting over rhythms provided by the Neptunes, who support him with arrangements that are both warm and aggressive; the effect is especially nice on "Feel It Boy," a sweetly romantic duet with Janet Jackson. Beenie Man does occasionally come across as a bit too eager to establish his bad-boy credentials -- too many of these songs find him repeatedly insisting on his gangsta status. It may be true that "real gangstas don't play" (as he says, over and over, on "Real Gangsta"), but they also don't waste a lot of breath saying "I'm a gangsta I'm a gangsta." Overall, though, this is an album sure to please Beenie Man's growing legion of American fans. Rick Anderson

Vibe

Tropical Storm's money shot is "Feel It Boy," a duet with Janet Jackson. Jeff Chang