 
I honestly had high expectations for Ray J’s third attempt at a successful album. Host of BET’s Bet.com Countdown and a regular VJ on BET’s 106 and Park, Ray J’s on screen charisma (which I was sure would transmit onto Radiation) won me over as a fan. I love the album’s first single “One Wish,” because he paints a picture of the relationship he and his lost love would have had had he one wish: “we would be best friends/ love would never end, it would just begin”. Awww, I heart Ray J! The day I got Radiation in my hands, I turned my keys into my car's ignition and popped it into the CD player. With the exception of “War is Over,” I found most of the first ten tracks repetitive in message; maybe every track should have been called “In Tha Mood” (track 13). Not even R. Kelly’s vocal guest appearance could hype up “Quit Actin.’” Kelly’s mumbling (I’m serious!) mid-song is so random I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. WHAT is he saying?! All quirks aside, I was only less than impressed with Radiation until I became disgusted with the hip-hop influenced “Unbelievable,” which takes listeners to one of the country’s hottest cities known for its beaches, night life, and beautiful people: Miami, FL. My car almost came to a screeching halt when I heard the line, “It’s unbelievable/ With exotic chicks who are hella thick/ And speak no English,” repeat chorus after chorus. Am I simply not understanding, or did he really just say, “And speak no English?!” This line is not the focus of the song, and Ray J never states who these ‘thick chicks’ are nor does he call anyone bitch, ho, or any other derogatory term, yet this line got under my skin and I honestly do not know why. Maybe it’s simply me. I tried placing myself in the shoes of these women who do not speak English and I would not want to be objectified because of my language barrier. I wouldn’t be having fun partying the night away with Ray J if I couldn’t communicate with him and vice versa. One song does not define a good album, but one song did sour my experience in listening to Radiation in an unbiased manner. While I am sure Ray J had no intension of striking a negative chord with a listener like myself, a bilingual woman of color, it only made me feel a sense of disappointment in the album. When I got home, I didn’t throw away the album, but I knew it would not be worth a second listen. - Evelyn Molina
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