Big Shug, Yo Gotti + album round-up

So with AZ's "The Come Up" everybody's favorite producer/rap eugenicist DJ Premier has made his "It's All Real" for 2005. Well hold up: Here's the best DJ Premier beat I've heard all year which in 1994 might have actually meant something.


Big Shug charms Serg's girlfriend.

Big Shug - Bang 'Em Down

Big Shug's album Who's Hard is about like you expect it to be. I don't know what else to say really. The single was "The Way It Is" which is another Premo "banger" but its not as good as "Bang Em Down" because it doesn't have those horns ripping it up. If you like pretending it's still 1996, peep game on Gang Starr affiliates!

Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti had that club single "Full Time" that TVT sent to every music writer east of the Atlantic. It was in Hustle and Flow during Skinny Black's party near the end, and it's pretty solid, hard drums and tight guitar distortion, um, flanging in and out.* Yo Gotti has a thick, almost clumsy flow and the closest touchpoint I can think of is Shyne, for some reason. He's not exactly a lyrical king, but he does have a certain charisma. Anyway he hooked up with 8ball and Bun-B for "Gangsta Party" which is on Southern Smoke 22, one of the best songs on it too. It is recommended that you get up on this.

Yo Gotti, 8Ball and Bun-B - Gangsta Party

*I may have misused the word "flanging."


David's Popular Rap Album Round-Up
Here's where I tell you what to think about the albums everybody's talking about.

Get Rich or Die Trying Soundtrack
OK I'll be real, aside from "Window Shopper" which is surprisingly decent for a boring 50 single, I only checked for the Mobb Deep and M.O.P. tracks. None of the Mobb songs are as good as the "Outta Control Remix," and although I'm glad the guys hooked up with G-Unit they need better beats. Production is boring, no really hard tracks, sort of Genericized-Unit smoothed-out M-O-B-B. "I Don't Know Officer" is alright. By far the best track is "When Death Becomes You," by M.O.P. with 50 Cent providing one of those classic slurred hooks that he does so well ("There's nowhere to run to, when death becomes you, some say your soul may burn into flame,") And M.O.P. just do what the fuck they do best, shouting and growling. D-D-D-D-DAT'S WHASSUP!

Lil Kim - The Naked Truth
Fuck five mics! It inspired "kinda gangsta, but T.I. sounds bored." But really it is pretty good, the first half especially. "Lighters Up" is the best Scott Storch track in a minute, and "Whoa" is fantastic. My personal favorite is "I Know You See Me," with soul-sampling that feels more 'confident strut' than forced nostalgia. But uhh what's up with that awful Game song, it's like cliche to say this now but Eminem make a new beat plz.

Trina - The Glamorest Life
This is really pretty great, even though it's her worst album, better than Kim's. Probably the best in this list.

Chamillionaire - Sound of Revenge
This is pretty bad.

Paul Wall - The People's Champ
By contrast, this is pretty good. Not exactly adventerous or surprising, but it's consistent and funny, as expected, and when he's honest/personal it's pretty convincing. "Smooth Operator" is totally the best song, it uses horns like late 80s rap songs used horns, and I want club DJs to spin it.

Juelz - What the Game's Been Missing
This is better than I expected, still a bit one-dimensional and predictable as dipset is wont to be but there are some interesting surprises throughout. I like "Clockwork."