88-Keys

This perverse morality tale centers on the elaborate efforts of poor, blue-balled "Adam" (a.k.a. producer/rapper/singer 88-Keys, who has made beats for conscious artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and J-Live) to get laid. Ribald detours and high-profile guests abound as he discovers passionate sex ("Stay Up! [Viagra]," featuring executive producer Kanye West), knocks up a casual girlfriend ("M.I.L.F." featuring Bilal), catches venereal disease ("The Burning Bush" with Redman), and tragically "dies." An uneven series of soulful hip-hop tracks (highlighted by the plucky guitar of "Nice Guys Finish Last"), The Death of Adam is ultimately an amusingly diverting, 45-minute dirty joke.

By Mosi Reeves