Twista Kamikaze Lyrics

Seven years have passed since Twista's last solo joint (1997's hood classic, Adrenaline Rush), and that's about three career cycles' worth of evolution in the swiftly moving world of hip-hop. The Chicago speed rapper's managed to do well for himself in the interim, retaining a strong following among the thug-life set and accruing new listeners via judicious appearances on splashy commercial releases like Ludacris's Word of Mouf. The long-delayed Kamikaze plays to both sides of the fan base, presenting a fair mixture of old-school Twista style with enough formulaic stuff thrown in to keep the kids happy. On the "OG" end of things you get tracks like the R. Kelly-produced round-the-way ballad, "So Sexy," and "Pimp On," a player's anthem featuring 8 Ball, Too Short, and the legendary Don "Magic" Juan. But it's the trendier tunes like Kanye West's parody-within-a-parody, "Slow Jamz," and the hustler's anthem, "Higher" (featuring the aforementioned Luda), that make the most noise. --Rebecca Levine