The Neptunes epitomise everything that is both good and bad about contemporary production. Along with Timbaland, they are the cream of the American A list. If Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Snoop Dog or Kelis are looking for some beats, then they call Chase Chao and Pharrell. These guys are so shit hot and in demand they don't charge by the track's duration, they charge by the beat. The stars might act like they're the ones who are bling-bling, but these dudes are running the show.
As authors of the sound of most major r’n' b, rap and urban artists, their technical prowess is indisputably awesome. It doesn't get much smoother than this. Problem is, what’s the point of über-slick production when you've got such weak songs? Nothing here stands up to repeated listening except the awesome rolling hip-hop of 'Rock ’n' Roll' by Fam-lay. In an attempt to showcase eclecticism, there is some excruciating nu-metal nonsense from Spymob and The High Speed Scene. Yeah, yeah, yeah…the production is great. So bloody what?