If I Can't/ Poppin' Them Thangs + CHINGY Holidae Inn

What better way to gauge the state of contemporary hip-hop than checking out the latest singles from 50 Cent and Chingy, two of the genre’s brightest young things. The former track is a superlative affair, with the beats honed to perfection by the redoubtable Dr. Dre. Chingy’s offering, meanwhile, is an exhilarating party-time stomper, featuring the predictably lascivious vocal stylings of Snoop Dogg. On a less cordial note, neither artist is exactly giving Public Enemy a run in the lyrical stakes, since the thematic concerns of both gentlemen can be summarised thus: sexy dames and plenty of ‘em. But then, there are few nobler pursuits in life than the courting of the fairer sex.