Percy Mack’s Trill Connection #1
Live Wires Connect. It was inevitable that the ever growing CB mafia would link up with Percy Mack, whose UGK archive The Trill Connection is emerging as one of the best new rap blogs. He’s going to be bringing more gems from the Kingz’ catalog over here in this new weekly column.
Too $hort f/ Eightball, K.B., UGK – “Cigarette (Alternate Mix)”
from Nationwide 2: Ghetto Pass, otherwise unreleased? (Jive, 2000)
You might recognize “Cigarette” as a track from that throw-away UGK compilation Side Hustles that Jive put out in 2001. What you might not know is that it was originally from Nationwide 2: Ghetto Pass, the sequel to $hort’s double disc compilation Nationwide: Independence Day that came out in 1999. I’m not really sure where this alternate mix comes from though; the ID3 tags say it’s from $hort’s Chase the Cat album, but of course, there’s no such track on there. Maybe it was intended for it and left on the cutting room floor? Who knows. I do know that I’d probably like this a lot song better if they had gotten rid of K.B. and just threw a MJG verse on there instead. It’s still a nice take on the O.G. version though.
Too $hort & Bun B – “Shout It Out”
from Drumline soundtrack (Jive, 2002)
Too $hort f/ Big Gipp, Bun B, Devin the Dude – “Pimp Life”
from What’s My Favorite Word? (Jive, 2002)
“Shout It Out” and “Pimp Life” are kind of special, if only because they feature both $hort and Bun. Usually, it was Pimp and $hort who did tracks together; Bun usually only showed up if it was a UGK feature (see “Cigarette” for example). It makes sense considering that Pimp and $hort had a lot of chemistry when they were trading rhymes; so much so in fact that they had formed a group called the Broad (Street?) Playaz and were working on an album before Pimp’s untimely passing. I still hold out hope that record will see the light of day some time.
Uh, where was I? Oh yeah, Bun and $hort. Don’t get me wrong, they have good chemistry too—it just wasn’t on the same level. These two tracks are pretty good examples of that. “Shout It Out” from the Drumline soundtrack finds them rhyming over a hectic Jazze Pha beat that samples the marching band song “Shout It Out” which was used later for the Yung Wun track “Tear It Up” featuring DMX and Lil’ Flip. “Pimp Life” from $hort’s 2002 album What’s My Favorite Word? is probably something that they’re more used to, with it’s laid back, almost Pimp C channeling beat (produced by $hort himself and Shorty B) and hell, you can’t go wrong when Gipp and Devin show up as guests.
March 17th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
errors opening files…
i thought cigarette was on the first nationwide…
March 17th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
“ever growing CB mafia”
lolwut
March 17th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
i have no idea.
audio fixed.
March 17th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Nah. “All About It” with $hort and Pimp was on the first Nationwide, if I remember right.
Btw, you’ll have to excuse any errors w/ the post. Still getting the hang of WordPress.
March 17th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
“The Trill Connection is emerging as one of the best new rap blogs” – absolutely. Percy Mack puts in some work. Best guide to the enormous UGK catalog – a must for everyone digging UGK. Bun B-cosigned btw.
March 18th, 2010 at 4:12 am
Not as good as the Side Hustles version, but interesting to hear.
I take back what i said about Tumblr being silly, since you’re sorta using it like you used the XXL blog, but with more scans.
March 18th, 2010 at 6:41 am
Sometimes when I listen to UGK I think about (and start listen to) some ol’ country blues, especially Lightnin’ Hopkins. Hopkins sung about his black Cadillac, his shotgun, drinking, cheating women, and “One Day” is thematically close to his “Death Bells”. So a lot of the topics UGK brought up were nothing new.
But I wonder why I don’t have the same associations when I’m listening to Scarface, Geto Boys or other southern hiphop acts. Maybe its because the way Pimp C talks and the melody in his talking, that reminds me of Lightnin’ Hopkins so much.
March 18th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Interesting point, Scjoha.
I think the warmness of their production is a huge factor too and, to me,. Pocket Full Of Stones remix was the genesis for Country-Rap. That’s a song that’s as important record as Planet Rock, The Message, Sucker MC’s, Ego Trippin’, P.S.K, 6 In The Morning and Boyz-N-The-Hood in the evolution of rap music.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Yeah, I guess you’re right, MF. The music on some UGK songs is a little more country than the music on Geto Boys or Scarface albums. And Pimp C simply had more of that drawl, which is a large part of his style.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
“Pimp Life” is my shit, solid verses by all artists involved.
March 19th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I dunno why, but that “Where Is Your Back Cover/Tracklisting?” post in your Shared RSS is cracking me up.
..Though I have to admit, I do agree with that post.
March 19th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
The “car with two wheels” conversation in the comments has me lolling.
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
what’s funny Bun himself put me on this blog by mentioning it in his interview in Cipha Rosenberg on HOT 97
been checkin it recently