President William Jefferson Clinton - All My Bitchez

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Bill Clinton isn't new to the world of hip-hop. He was laying the groundwork for rap's explosion into the mainstream as early as 1986 with I'm the DJ, He's the Future President. However, All My Bitchez is Slick Willy's first release since 1992's much-maligned Please Clinton Don't Hurt 'Em. How does this new album stack up against his older stuff, and, more importantly, against contemporary rap?

As expected, Clinton has "gone gangsta." Ditching his fun-loving party-MC image, on All My Bitchez the president raps about killing police officers, dealing drugs, and foreign policy in Kosovo. Unfortunately for Bill, these topics were relevant five years ago. Gangsta rap is tired, and so is this album.

That's not to say that Bitchez is devoid of the world-class rhymes for which Clinton is renowned. "With respect to my dick, there is no shrivelage," raps Clinton, "'Cause I gots a thing called 'executive privilege.'" Unfortunately, he can't maintain that lyrical level for the whole album, and in the end, such exhortations as "Throw your thong underwear in the air like you don't care" and "White House in the house" leave a listener cold.

- tony carnevale