After two years of nonstop Southern crunk, you would expect the folks at Cash Money to take a breather. Baller Blockin, the soundtrack to their straight-to-video movie, is that breather; a lukewarm release that doesn’t rise to the usual electrifying levels, despite an all-star cast of guests (E-40, Mack 10, Nas, Eight ball & MJG, and UGK).

Part of the reason? This isn’t an all-Cash-Money release. Sound whiz Mannie Fresh handles 11 of the album’s 19 tracks, with other credits going to UGK’s Pimp C and Stormy Day, among others. Those tracks range from the solid (UGK’s "Family Affair") to the passable (Eightball and MJG’s "Ballin’ G’s," Nas’ "What You Gonna Do" ) to the plain boring (Unplugged’s soggy ballad "Don’t Cry"). But even when things shift back to the Cash Money clique, they don’t bring their customary heat. Lyrics have never been the crew's strong point -- it’s all about delivery and style with them. But it's hard to excuse recycled raps like Juvenile’s turn on "Rover Truck" which is familiar to folks who’ve heard "No 1 Stunna" (which is not many, considering the rotation that cut has been getting). And "Project B!#$h" gets its refrain from "I Need a Hot Girl." Even Fresh, who usually seems incapable of producing a mediocre track, seems to be recycling past ideas ("Baller Blockin", "Uptown").

From the sounds of the last Big Tymers album, there is still gas left in the Cash Money tank. But Baller Blockin is definitely the lower-octane stuff.