Sound: Laid back, southern gangsta rap led by the commanding presence of Slim Thug, whose deep and rugged Houston drawl invites you into his world
Note: The Neptunes produced 8 of the tracks on the album (which makes for a healthy and innovative variety) and Pharrell Williams tastefully raps and sings on a few of them
Also note: 15 songs, no skits, one intro (i.e. lotsa music, not much filler, but they certainly could have trimmed a couple)
Heavy Rotation tracks: “Like a Boss“; “Already Platinum” (featuring Pharrell Williams); “I Ain’t Heard of That” (featuring Bun B)
Medium Rotation tracks: “Everybody Loves a Pimp“; “3
Kings” (featuring T.I. & Bun B); “Dedicate“; “The Interview“
Recommended: His typical thug posturing and misogyny offers very little that hasn’t been done already, however his chilled out but authoritative style, top-notch production and quality guest appearances make this one of the best mainstream hip hop albums of the year so far.
Grade: B+