Chemically Imbalanced

What do "Salt Shaker", "Badd", "Shake" featuring Pitbull, "Wait (The Whisper Song)", "Bedroom Boom" and more have in common? After selling over 2.5 million albums, The Ying Yang Twins have shaken off the novelty rap label and evolved into a massive hit making machine dominating BET, MTV, radio, the internet, magazine covers, you name it. With this year's release of the new single "Dangerous" featuring and produced by Wyclef, their sound has evolved yet again, while still maintaining the Ying Yang infamous party edge. Ying Yang has increased its fan base with each album and this year will be even BIGGER and more comically deranged!!! Or is that "Chemically Imbalanced"?! Hanh!

The Ying Yang Twins leave the yin and the yang behind on their fifth disc in favor of full-on freaky imbalance (the chemical part comes courtesy of themes and song titles like "Smoke Break" and "Patron"). But collaborative disorientation rarely makes so much sense: an "Intro" by executive producer Mr. Collipark alerts fans that the first half of the disc is standard YY--party beats, strip-club dramas, crunky wild-child stuff--while the second half tries a little harder, bringing co-producer Wyclef on board for a reach at lyricism and melody. Whether you shuffle the tracks or play it straight, though, the Twins come across at ease throughout. First single "Dangerous," with Wyclef, takes leave of raunch in favor of a kind of souped-up hip-hop sensuality, and "Jack It Up" jerks listeners back to the ATL with a dose of Lil Jon-style dirtiness. As musical experimentation goes, Imbalanced lacks the cleverness of 2005's USA: United States of Atlanta, but only because it doesn't get much cleverer than that disc's "Wait (The Whisper Song)." Still, if Chemically Imbalanced proves anything, it's that Ying Yang Twins have a lock on innovation. Even when they're out of synch. --Tammy La Gorce