CULVER CITY, California -- Bobby Valentino is used to churning out smooth ballads for the ladies, and with his forthcoming sophomore disc, the R&B crooner doesn't plan on straying too far from that formula.

Luda's DTP protégé (see [article id="1500001"]"Launching Bobby Valentino's Career Is All In A Day's Work For Ludacris"[/article]) is already knee-deep in the recording process for the follow-up to his debut solo LP, Disturbing Tha Peace Presents Bobby Valentino.

"You can expect a real hot record with real R&B music," Valentino said of the album, due in late 2006. "I guarantee people will love it if they just give it a chance [because] you will be able to vibe to it from the beginning to the end."

While Valentino is staying true to his signature sound, the singer plans to bring in some fresh blood to help with the new disc.

"[My production team] Tim [Kelley] and Bob [Robinson] want to get something with Pharrell," he revealed. "I want to just work with a lot of new cats. I like working with new [people] just to make them hotter, and it makes me better too."

For now, Valentino is still busy pushing his first album. "My Angel (Never Leave You)" -- the latest single off the disc that spawned "Slow Down" and "Tell Me" -- is a ballad that speaks of the special chemistry between a man and his true love, a childhood sweetheart with whom he was reunited after years apart.

The Atlanta-based performer is featured on DTP's forthcoming Ludacris Presents ... Disturbing Tha Peace, out December 13 (see [article id="1510639"]"Wall Street Luda Celebrates New Deals: Therapy LP, Radio Show, DTP Compilation"[/article]). One of the tracks, "Table Dance," is an ode to all the strip clubs in the ATL.

"Only if you visit Atlanta do you understand how the strip clubs are. It's a way of life and a way of living in A-Town, so I had to do a song about it," he said with a hint of a smirk.

Valentino also lent his vocals to the Biggie Smalls compilation disc The Notorious B.I.G. Duets: The Final Chapter, due December 20 (see [article id="1512151"]"Biggie Duets LP Features Eminem, Snoop, Tupac, Nas, Ludacris"[/article]).