"I don't f*ck with yall rappers, you fake to me, I don't f*ck with you majors, yall snakes to me, I don't care about fame, fuck bein' a star!"
Slim Thug came onto the industry balla-type scene in unfamiliar fashion than his peers. Given the biggest head start, he was backed by then (and probably now), the most powerful music label at Interscope, one of the more popular producers in Pharrell, and it seemed he knew how to to stunt much much better than anyone other than Jay-Z. (I mean seriously, who brings Bentleys and other cars (that's been proven his alla MTV Cribs), and talkin' shit about Jimmy Ivine on their 1st video)? But ironically, the great start-up, and the confidence in his skills (Already Platinum), didn't bring the success one would think. It seemed like Thugga was the only one from Houston that broke onto that big scene that didn't go platinum. Well, after arguing his way off of Interscope, going through personal mishaps, the original Boss (not Bawse), comes our way this time with the independent route. How does he do?
"Claimin' they the boss, they like my style, copyin' what I do mayne they like my child... If the shoe fit wear it, listen to it compare it, you ni**as ain't my fam how my style you inherit"?
The 1st cut is delivered to us with a singing choir in the back, and absolutely bass heavy (for us southerners), where he's basically making a strong statement that he is infact the boss of all bosses. And the whole song, it seems he's going after somebody's head, he never names names, but it fits some shoes.
"Instead of movin' on try'na do ya own thang... You stay recruiting for the we-hate-Slim-Thug-game"
Slim Thug made a few songs that were pretty catchy a few years ago, (Tippin', 3 Kings, I Ain't Heard Of That). His 1st single is probably a favorite of your local corner boy, "I Run" flips that old 80's song and turns it into a nice street anthem for them to put on their Myspace page. And he wouldn't go on through the album without havin' s'more of that, so you hear more bass-ridden tracks like "Thug", and a classic song "Associates" accompanied by Z-Ro that'll probably be the anthem of somebody's drive-by. And considering that those two had beef not to long ago, for them to make a song like this together is good news.
"Dropped Already Platinum but it only sold gold, and niggas lookin' at me like I sold my soul.. Cuz I'm rappin' with P n not Mr. Lee, but when you on the grind sometimes you can't see."
Slim Thug was big underground, but when he broke industry he did a few things different, like not working with his longtime producer Mr. Lee. Well, Slim Thug is not only back with his CD, but he's back to trying to please that underground crowd. With alittle help from Devin The Dude, Slim dives into his struggle on the industry level, and what he learned from it, thus re-assuring his listeners he is indeed back. Also while underground, he's not pressured to make just industry friendly songs, so with alittle help from Scarface, telling about the struggle comin' up around their way. "Got a 1st class ticket to the pen, 17 years old, but up in there they all men".
If Thugga wanted to stay afloat in the industry, what would any other rapper do? Well, number one, make something catchy, two, make something for the club, three make sure it's good, (ok in 2009 it doesn't have to be good). But Thugga seems to have struck gold with the song "Smile". With the synthesizer beat blaring through the speakers, all this does is encourage a hell-of-a club scene. And I'm sure it'll get alotta women to take more pictures on their Myspace page since he encourages 'em to "smile for the camera". But when you're goin' clubbin' on the CD, you're treaddin' on thin ice because if there's more clubbin', then less substance. Thugga does a pretty good job at this, since he arguably only has 1 other club song, where he's accompanied by Mannie Fresh, but it's actually a pretty cool song, so he's safe here.
Also, if he was going to stay afloat on his independent bowie, looking for that big industry ship to come along and scoop 'em up. He'd have to make a song for the ladies. He slips up with the ultra cliche and bland track "My Bitch", it offers nuthin' that we haven't heard from other artists. It also breaks up some of that consistency that his album was on. But he does hit another homer with "She Like That", could serve a dual purpose. This could be the male's player track before he's 'bout to make that late night trip, or just get the lady in the mood. Good stuff.
Like all Texas artists, I believe he drops a few types of songs that he loves to do most. And they'd call it some Slab Music. What slab songs would consist of in Texas, nice cars, pimpin', and lean. Now these types of tracks are gives n takes, I doubt it bodes well up north, or out west, as it does down here where I'm at. So given I'm born south of the Dixie line, it naturally fits me. (And it'll fit =!=, he's from Mississippi too, lol). And he gets some help from fellow Texans Paul Wall and UGK, even a new verse from Pimp C.
Now after the long long, we-are-the-world, Texas-is-the-shit (maybe only Texas liked), "Welcome to Houston", you realize how short the CD is. And it seems like that last track was a waste of 8 minutes, not that it was a bad idea to have the track on their, but to end it on that note. Maybe Thugga didn't realize what a great CD he had and decided to end it on such a bland note that everyone could enjoy. And 8 minute same-track-song, and that one love song slip-up, we'd be talking about a classic album here. The two "Slab" tracks are probably questionable by the universal ear standards, but hey, he's independent, he's humble, and putting out great music still, so we can't complain to much.
** On a side note, Slim Thug scrapped the original "I'm Back" track, it was made by Dr. Dre... That's alotta money you can throw away on an independent budget!!**
"You win when you don't let this martial shit impress ya.. Fuck fame put my name on the cash, I use to wish n dream I could swang on the glass, now cars, clothes, n hoes is a thang of the past."
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