The Pimp always spoke his mind, and didn’t care how you felt about it, or the consequences. Given his propensity to say exactly what he meant, at any time, and his oversized personality, some really wild couplets are littered throughout his vast discography of features, solo releases and, of course, classic material as one half of UGK. Read the rest of this entry »
“You know how The Pimp be/That n*gga gon’ speak his mind…” — Young Jeezy
If the old adage proves true, “time flies when you’re having fun,” time also speeds by when reminiscing on the loss of a loved one. As crazy as it sounds, next month will mark four years since the death of Chad Butler. Read the rest of this entry »
In the words, well, question, of Elliott Wilson, “who lit a fire under Hip-Hop’s ass?” It’s no secret there has been an abundant amount of quality music to hit the e-streets and the trend continues with new UGK. That’s right, new UGK. Read the rest of this entry »
Much like watching The Wire, I don’t really need any excuse to play or write about “International Players Anthem.” I ran this track back so many times when it first dropped that I almost certain it’s the reason my iPod hard drive fried. So you can imagine my delight when this Sims version of the video popped up in the Google Reader. As great as it is, I need a couple of questions answered. Read the rest of this entry »
“Sweet Jones or Sweet James? Switched my name, finger f*cked the game…”
If there is ever a bad time to listen to listen to UGK, I pray I never experience such. Read the rest of this entry »
The first time I listen to anything from Pimp Chad’s The Naked Soul Of Sweet Jones will be when the entire album is made available. So I had to turn to outside opinions for feedback on the Boi-1da constructed “What Up” – the Pimp’s postumous collab with his partner in rhyme Bun B and self-proclaimed UGK alumni, Drake. Got all the back info squared away? Good. Here we go. Read the rest of this entry »
Graphic by Talia
Here we are and ready to announce the winner of Bun B’s solo discography. And that lucky TSS supporter is… *drum roll* Read the rest of this entry »
Graphic by Talia
Bun B’s solo catalog up for grabs here. Five discs in total including Trill, Trill: Screwed & Chopped, II Trill, II Trill: Chopped-Up Not Slopped Up and the newly released Trill O.G.. Only ONE lucky winner though and with a simplified entry process that’s open to everyone. Read the rest of this entry »
This 2009 Slept-On list covers the gamut of artists in the Hip-Hop realm. Old G’s from the mid-90s who still got the goods, even if they don’t resonate with the younger crowd. Underground super groups. Young artists on the cusp of breaking through into bigger circles. Southern legends riding out into immortality for the last time.
What ties these albums together is that for whatever reason, they didn’t quite get the love they deserved in 2009. So start off 2010 by loading up on some of the best music 2009 had to offer (for a very reasonable price).
With the soul and spirit of De La and Tribe, Tanya Mo quietly dropped Brooklynati. Backed by Sir Von Pea’s soulful production, the cast of Tanya Morgan delivered carefree stories of a rap group on the come up which spawned the infectious single “So Damn Down.” Phonte, Blu, Carlitta Durrand and Kay all co-star. Wake up and join the movement!—Landon A.
Cop: Brooklynati
Although seemingly dropping out of nowhere in the middle of September with zero promotional buzz and nary a video to boot, the brutes from Brownsville didn’t treat their undetected product like a contractual obligation. Setting things off over riot-inducing production from DJ Premier, Nottz and Statik Selektah, Foundation’s exterior sounded as rugged as day uno. Time to ante up if you haven’t heard it.—TC
Cop: Foundation
Two years after Blu & Exile’s groundbreaking project Below The Heavens shook the underground in 2007, the MPC-toting soulful beatsmith chose Fresno’s own Fashawn to be the second MC he would push onto the masses with their collaborative project Boy Meets World. Ex’s lush production meshes together beautifully with Fashawn’s lyrical tales reflecting his upbringing in the northern part of California that raised him. While the album didn’t reach far within the commerial realm, the critical acclaim and respect he gained as a lyricist in his region of the country makes his freshman outing a success that he can most definitely build on.—K1NG
Cop: Boy Meets World
’09 was a big year for K’Naan. He began the year by receiving the buzzworthy badge from The Man er…MTV and the summer months had him on the road with the Rock the Bells tour. Troubadour was a cocktail of worldly delights mixed with all the familiar elements of Hip-Hop that helped to make a sleeper hit. The guest roster adds flavor to the mix as Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Mos Def, Chubb Rock, Chali 2na and Kirk Hammett of Metalica all make appearances.—Landon A.
Cop: Troubadour
Who said that hurricanes can only hit along the coasts? On his 7th studio album, Twista came out spinning early and often on this one. With songs like “American Gangster,” “Talk To Me,” & the radio friendly “Wetter,” Mr. Mitchell was operating at full strength during the eye of his storm. Although it loses steam near the end when he lends his attention solely to the fairer sex, Category F5 show that Twista hasn’t lost a step during his time served and when focused, is still as lethal as ever.—MZ
Cop: Category F5
Fresh Daily - The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes Of Passion
Fresh Daily is the Hip-Hop you love. An old school delivery with new-age punchlines make The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes Of Passion a joy to listen to. Daily’s bars are laugh out loud funny at times but it’s tracks like “Love Breakdown” and “Crimes of Passion” that allow the New Yorker to show off his more serious side. And try to listen to “Gutterman” or “Untucked Nunchucks” and not get the yuck face. Fresh Daily is a pundit on the mic and more outings like this will guarantee he’ll be a force in the game for a long time.—David D.
Cop: The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes Of Passion
Overshadowed by releases from his other Old G contemporaries, Sir. Griffin proved that G-Funk stays winning well into middle age. Help from a mix of the new Cali crew and some standbys didn’t hurt. Top tracks like the dark, “100 Miles & Runnin’” (poor title though c’mon Warren,) move the album, and even some of the poppy efforts like the Snoop collabo “Swagger Rich” are still enjoyable. Warren’s not consistent or adept enough to label this a new classic, but fans of old school, West Coast Hip-Hop should definitely partake.—Patrick M.
Cop: The G. Files
Donny Goines – The Breakfast Club
Ever wonder what the lyrical equivalent of Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise and crushed red pepper would amount to? If so, Donny Goines served up such a platter with The Breakfast Club. Mixing engaging food for thought (“Sublime”) with light midday meals (“Party Apple”), the free buffet was essentially a compilation seeing that it featured nearly every hot act in today’s blogosphere. Too many calories present to let this dish go cold.—TC
Download: The Breakfast Club
Curren$y – This Ain’t No Mixtape
After flooding the Internet with a massive amount of mixtapes over the span of a year or so, New Orleans’ own Curren$y decided to take a little time to craft an independent album alongside Amalgam Digital. Utilizing his effortless flow to glide over the sonic landscape provided by Monsta Beatz, Spitta crafted an album with enough weed & sneaker references to put Complex to shame. While it didn’t quite break him through to the mainstream audience, it proved to be a worthy project for any rap fan’s collection this year.—K1NG
The guy doesn’t look the part and on first glance his name reads like a Twilight character. But 30 seconds of hearing Lushlife spit rhymes and you’ll believe in the product. Still Cassette City was largely ignored by the general public, who may have been turned off by the visuals or just didn’t know any better. That’s a shame, because the album combines introspective rhymes that keep coming with new-age production that keeps to its underground roots.—Patrick M.
Cop: Cassette City
Trife Diesel – Better Late Than Never
Eight years of purgatory doesn’t exactly breed excitement for the release of an album, but in the case of Trife Diesel, his tardiness proved to worth waiting for. Boldly going where NYC hadn’t been in some time, dirtier-than-fishscale parables like “Powerful Minds” and Ghostface-assisted “Respectfully” gave the East some bragging rights to close out the decade. Hopefully they won’t have to wait too long for the sequel.—TC
Playaz Circle – Flight 360: The Takeoff
Without a breakaway hit à la “Duffle Bag Boy” Tity Boy & Dolla’s flight was a little less crowded this go around. But for those who chose to take a ride were treated to their signature brand of music for in-flight entertainment. While the OJ Da Juiceman collabo “Stupid” was put into place to appease those hanger on’s from last go around, this DTP duo brought equal parts of style and substance to the table. If they can continue on their current trajectory, it’ll only be a matter of time before they’ll be shopping for bigger planes.—MZ
This was the final curtain call for one of Hip-Hop’s greatest groups and they went out in the same draped up and dripped out purple Cadillac they rode in on. If you thought this would be a sappy ode to Pimp C, you were sadly mistaken. “Still on the Grind” and “Swishas & Erb” are familiar odes to what made UGK successful while “Steal Your Mind” shows a dream collaboration with Snoop and Too $hort, forming a pimp dream team of outrageous bars. Then there’s Pimp with his insistence on unshaven pubic areas and lines like “I’m tryin to put my dick inside ya mouth/tryin’ to put my dick and nuts inside ya mouth!” Long live the Pimp.—David D.
Cop: 4 Life
RZA – Afro Samurai Resurrection OST
Noticably absent from the multitude of Wu releases for the year, RZA did manage to stay productive in the industry’s frozen tundra, better known as January. The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai Resurrection OST, the eponymous soundtrack for the violent animated movie, incorporated a massive amount of underground talent for the greater good of murder music. It’s like a Hanzo for your iPod.—TC
“You know how The Pimp be, that nigga gon’ speak his mind/ If he could speak down from heaven, he’d tell me stay on my grind…”
Similar to Tupac Shakur before him, the legacy of Chad Butler remains a beautiful, yet painful memory shadowing over Hip-Hop. While I am able to clearly differentiate music from reality, any pure lover of the genre can tell you his passing is an event many still do not want to come to terms with. I, along with millions of other UGK fans, never knew the man personally. To this day I’ll be honest with anyone when I say I’m still a bigger Bun B fan, but that defeats the purpose of this piece. What it is about is paying homage to a man whose sometimes perceived ignorance paled in comparison to his prowess in a recording booth. Read the rest of this entry »
Go ahead and focus on the picture for a few moments. It’s cool, I did the same thing. I’ll wait.
Alright, now that we’ve got that out the way, let’s get down to business. I’ve been a Lloyd fan since the “Southside” days and the fact he’s got new single drawing influence from UGK’s “Take It Off” only gives me more reason to support dude. Read the rest of this entry »
Two years after it came out I still get goosebumps when André starts his verse for this. And I’m eternally grateful this came out before every Tom, Dick & Harry (||) had the means and gumption to throw a verse on this classic song. But a few things come to mind listening to this: Read the rest of this entry »
Some people are so captivating that you could listen to them talk for hours. Pill is one of those people. Read the rest of this entry »
My Shuffle caught me slippin’.
I avoided this song for THE longest time. But last week while getting my cardio on, I decided to load that Webbie mixtape to see just how terrible the mixing was (it was horrible).
That’s when this song snuck in and just…to be honest, Boosie’s verse, actually everybody’s verse was respectable. With a title like “Harry Asshole,” I expected the song to be an uncomfortable ode to dookie love. Instead, none of the sexually explicit verses strayed from anything too uncommon, detouring onto the Hershey Highway. Everybody’s except one. Read the rest of this entry »
247HH’s cameras caught up with Underground King Bun B @ a recent in-store appearance @ St. Alfred’s in Chicago. In the clip, Bun breaks down what used to be the recording process, finding Read the rest of this entry »
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