Ice Cream Man was the breakthrough album for Master P and No Limit Records, which P relocated from Richmond, California, to New Orleans shortly before this release. The album sold more than a million copies, propelled by an overwhelming marketing campaign and the single “Bout It, Bout It II,” which became a Southern anthem. Built around a queasy G-funk beat by No Limit in-house producer KLC, “Bout It, Bout It II” is violence in slow motion. The remainder of the album focuses mostly on the New Orleans rap aesthetic, as KLC, Mo B. Dick and Craig B provide beat after beat of alarming, deranged funk. Master P isn’t the most skilled rapper, but he more than compensates with attitude. His voice can translate all the gritty rebellion of the Louisiana streets with just a few well-timed boasts. Ice Cream Man helped to define a new era in New Orleans rap, but it also incorporates the sounds of Houston, another integral Southern rap metropolis. “Break ‘Em Off Somethin’” is a stealthy production by UGK’s Pimp C, while “Mr. Ice Cream Man,” “1/2 On a Bag of Dank,” and “How G’s Ride” borrow the slowed-down aura of DJ Screw.