Here’s a couple new album joints from an artist we recently smoked with, Slim Thugga.

The first one is an Read the rest of this entry »

While the majority of you didn’t bother to check for the album — let alone the review, Z-Ro’s not letting something petty like a buzz window get in the way of promoting his 2008 effort Crack. Thankfully, the four months and change since the album dropped allowed him to buckle down and pick out two of the best tracks to advertise. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Khalid Strickland

The first time Bun B soldiered on without his UGK co-defendant Pimp C, fans of the revered Port Arthur, Texas duo didn’t fret. Bun capably held shit down as a solo artist and the faithful knew that the pair would be reunited once Pimp finished his prison bid. But only two years after Pimp came home from the bing, Bun B was on his own once again. However, this time there would be no reunion down the road. Chad Butler a.k.a. Pimp C passed away in his sleep on December 4th 2007 and the U.G.K. that we’ve come to know and love would never be the same again.

Before he returned to the essence, Pimp C recorded enough material for both his upcoming solo album and UGK 4 Life, the group’s last hurrah. UGK 4 Life is slated for release on March 31st but I recently attended a listening session for the album at the offices of Jive Records. The joints I heard Read the rest of this entry »

Remember when actual drug dealers used to run rampant through canals of Hip-Hop? Sure, Jeezy ushered in an entire wave of “Trapstr’s” unapologetically hyperbolizing their nickel and dime capers, but the lack of intricate details didn’t really make for Masterpiece Theater in the mind’s of faithful listeners. Think Only Built Built For Cuban Linx..., Scarface’s 2nd verse on “In Cold Blood.” Music that activates the left and right brain that will still having you watching America’s Most Wanted like “Oh yeah!”

Parental Advisory had a few stories to share as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Bun B – “The Game Belong To Me”/”Damn I’m Cold” from MZ on Vimeo.

Bun B. braved the Midwest cold as he stopped in Columbus, OH this week as part of the Scion Live Metro Series. I’m not sure what Columbus did to deserve this, but we’ve gotten shows from Black Sheep, EPMD, and M.O.P as well this year. Backed by Funk/Soul Band Orgone, Mr. Trill ripped his set full of songs from his and U.G.K.’s discographies. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever been in a situation where a pending issue has been driving you crazy, but the topic is risque and you don’t want to embarrass yourself by asking anyone? Well, obviously, I have. And since I’m way past the point where I care what you bootleggers think, I’m asking y’all a question that’s been pestering me since I began listening to female-degrading raps more than ten years ago.

Why is it that I’ve heard numerous male rappers use the term “cock” when referencing a girl’s nanner? Read the rest of this entry »

I was 10 when Pac and Big died.

Today, I understand how big these losses were. At the time though, I was relatively calm about the events.

But when Pimp C died a year ago to this day — that shit hit me like a ton of bricks.

Gotty™ said it best when describing why Pimp C is so beloved: Read the rest of this entry »

Often one of the most overlooked in Houston’s famed rapper gene rapper, Z-Ro isn’t one to let popularity and politics stand in his way. Readying his 12th solo album Crack, the Mo City Don stays loyal to his strengths in terms of making admirable Southern rap tunes and at the least, keeps things consistent. Read the rest of this entry »

Nothing tests my love for Hip-Hop like a long ass road trip.

There’s only so much I can take in a 16 hour drive before I start to detest any collection of rhyming words. I just threw the iPod on random and about 9 hours in, each song started to run together and my eyes got heavy even while I was reciting the words to “Ghost Deini” (proving that I can in fact recite rap to Supreme Clientele in my sleep).

Then I got my wake-up call. Read the rest of this entry »

Despite II Trill being Bun B’s second solo album, both have been Pimp C’s just as much as his own. 2005′s Trill was a vehicle to keep an incarcerated Pimp C on the mouths and minds of everyone within earshot as Bun carried the banner of U.G.K. and Port Arthur, Texas on his shoulders. Fast forward to 2008 and due to the untimely passing of Pimp C, II Trill is dually a Bun B solo album as well as an opportunity for other’s to stop by and pay their respects to the late Chad Butler. With the loss fresh on his mind, Bun put his nose to the grindstone as he lyrically keeps this album afloat overcoming too many guest appearances and questionable beat selections.

Starting out the gate strong with “That’s Gangsta,” Bun breaks down what it exactly means to be one for anyone unsure of the term. J.R. Rotem gives him a beat strong enough to match the intensity of his words as Sean Kingston provides a great hook performance as he prepares for the second act of his career. On “Damn I’m Cold,” Lil’ Wayne puts down the styrofoam cup long enough to give Bun an adequate sparring partner as the two go back and forth on coming up in the game. Bun connects with Lupe Fiasco on “Swang On ‘Em” to set the ground rules for visitors to the South. The marching band backdrop give the two emcees a versatile sound bed where they can both spit at a comfortable pace. Read the rest of this entry »

Let me tell you how this week was supposed to go.

It was supposed to be silky smooth. See, usually we’re only working a day ahead, but not this week. We had several interviews prepped & ready. We had the Ghostface material cocked & loaded, ready to rock. We even had a giveaway coming up with a clothing company for a UGK-inspired & endorsed t-shirt (postponed for now).

Boom, silky smooth. The week was laid the fuck out.

Then this morning’s news revealed that Spice 1 had been shot.

My thought process was “Ok, he lived. Cool, we can make a mention but stay with the program.”

Then word started trickling in that Pimp C had passed.

Shit.

Things happen & plans change unexpectedly. And all things have a beginning.

When I started thinking of ways to speak on both of these artists, one of the inescapable links that comes to mind is the Menace II Society soundtrack, where both had profound songs that defined the early 90′ss, a time marked by the full blown exposure to crack (“Pocketful Of Stones” by UGK), violence (“Trigger Gots No Heart” by Spice 1), society’s ills…and rap as a medium to open people’s eyes to the shit.

Fast forward to today and where we stand. I can easily say that I’m praying that Spice recouperates & lives to be an older, healthier wiser man.

For Pimp, I won’t waste time on condolences…because Pimp lived the life he chose. My condolences do go out to his family. But part of me wouldn’t feel right feeling “down” because of his death. With Bun B, they blazed trails in rap before Pimp ended up getting locked up. Pimp came home, & like Pimpin Ken said, he came home to money & all of life’s other lavish trappings. Like the old timers would say, “you can’t stop a stepper” and as a trill ass nigga, that’s what Pimp was – a goddamn stepper & a marcher to the beat of his own drum

And dear Lord, the brother came hell & raised an insane amount of hell, calling out any & all rappers. Sometimes the claims were outlandish, perhaps provoked by the Devil’s dandruff (see: the infamous Atlanta radio interview). Other times they were on point & a good dose of reality that some of these egotistical rap hacks needed (see: criticism of hip-hop’s glamorization of jail).

I’m actually envious of sorts & I’m not even frowning upon the alleged drug use. If I ain’t have to worry about such trifles as drug testing at the job, constant nasal issues, incessantly tapping my feet, and, of course, the financial circumstances, hell I’d prolly be treating myself with the Bolivian marching powder, grindin’ my teeth as I type this.

So, fuck’em, Pimp.

You did it your way. You made your share of mistakes & had your share of triumphs.

And you lived your life to the fullest.

Spice 1, stay up & get well soon.

UGK – One Day

Spice 1 – Thug In Me

Menace II Society OST

Another coincidence is that we happened to have a set of Shots, all related by the letter “C”…so I think we’ll run with those as well.

C Shots

Casual-Oaktown-Promo_CDS-2004

Ceelo_And_Jazze_Pha-Happy_Hour-(CDS)-2005

Channel_Live-Mad_Izm_(Original_Buckwild_Remix)_12_Inch-1995

Channel_Live-Mad_Izm_BW_Reprogram-VLS-2005

Charli_Baltimore_(Feat._Camron_and_Nore)-NBC-VLS-1999

Chi-Ali-Age_Aint_Nothing_But_a_Number-VLS-1992

Chi-Ali-Let_The_Horns_Blow_VLS-1992

Chi-Ali-Roadrunner_VLS-1992

Chingy-We_Got_(Nelly_Diss)-2005

Chino_XL-Poisen_Pen-(Bootleg)-2005

Chino_XL-Watch_Closer_BW_Royce_5_9_Enough_Beef-(Full_VLS)-2005

Choclair-Back_Where_Ive_Stayed-CDS-2003

Clipse_Feat_Pharrell-Stuntin_Yall-(Explicit_Promo_CDS)-2005

Clipse-Cot_Damn_(Remix)-Promo-CDS-2003

Clipse-Definition_of_A_Roller_(Promo_CDS)-2004

Clipse-Who_Shot_Ya_Freestyle_Promo-CDS-2004

CNN_Feat_Swiss_Beatz-Hood_Money_CDS-2003

CNN-Ayo-VINYL-2003

CNN-Cheers(Promo_Vls)-2003

Common_and_Kanye_West-Go_BW_Diamonds_Are_Forever-VLS-2005

Common_Ft_Scarface_And_Mos_Def-The_Corner_(Remix)_(CDS)-2005

Common-Go_(Full_VLS)-2005

Common-The_Food_(VLS)-2004

Coo_Coo_Cal-We_Got_That_Ft.Juvenile_BW_Lap_Dance-2005

Cormega_Feat_Large_Professor-The_Come_Up-(VLS)-2002

Cormega-Dangerous_bw_Personified_(Promo_CDS)-2004

Cormega-Let_It_Go_BW_A_Beautiful_Mind-(VLS)-2004

C Shots

R.I.P. Pimp C