Ludacris seems to have lost his touch. The inherent Southern charm and calculated lyrical ranting that characterized his first two releases is largely missing on his third, the spectacularly named Chicken-n-Beer. In the past, songs with such profound proclamations as "Move bitch / Get out the way" and "Get on the floor and throw dem bows" made it clear that Ludacris was appealing to a specific kind of mentality -- blissfully ignorant and happy-go-lucky. He was smart enough to be stupid.

But with Chicken-n-Beer, he may be actually stooping to the level that in the past was reserved for tongue-in-cheek playfulness. With a song like, "Blow it Out" -- the sole hook of which is "Blow it outcha ass" -- the self-consciousness is gone. Ludacris has possibly become the bloated caricature he portrays on the album's sleeve -- passed out in a pile of chicken bones, clutching a beer mug, out of touch and slave to his own filth.

Still, there are high points, particularly in the production (care of Erick Sermon), some of which warrants repeated listens. The first track begins with a diva wailing triumphantly before launching into a great hook sampled from Isaac Haye's version of "Walk on By." And the best track on the album does what a Ludacris song should do: "Diamond in the Back" breezes along for a cool three minutes with an appropriate sample from William DeVaughn's "Just Be Thankful for What You Got."

It's the ideal soundtrack for lounging on a big front porch in a cloud of green smoke on a hot summer's day in Atlanta. Unfortunately, "Diamond in the Back" is the exception rather than the rule, and we are left with an album with only the most fleeting moments of greatness.