Reader Review: UGK - Ridin' Dirty (July 30, 1996)

(Today's Reader Review adds to a chapter in HHID's history that it seems that I'm completely avoiding at this point, that of UGK's back catalog, which I do eventually plan on getting back to. Anyway, Alex skips ahead to the third full-length project from the Underground Kingz, Ridin' Dirty, and somehow includes one of the most bizarre introductions that a reader has ever submitted. Enjoy, and leave your thoughts below.)

Decades from now, when the general public looks back at our generation's most impressionable and introspective philosophers, the list will include many. But one man who will undoubtedly be overlooked is the all-knowing, omnipotent Chad Butler. Rumor has it that the one they also refer to as Pimp C woke up on a ship one night feeling extremely nauseous, his shirt littered with crustacean tails, and suddenly it was quite clear he had eaten so much shrimp that he suffered from iodine poisoning, somehow causing amnesia. As the whiskered fellow came to his senses, the owner of the boat took notice and introduced himself. The captain of the ship was the one and only Bernard Freeman, a man who truly could give a fuck about the value of a dollar. Like his partner, he had stopped smoking with haters back in 1994 and instead roamed the seven seas in his candy painted vessel, selling the devil's love potion.

The fellow named Bernard had a heart, though, and offered his assistance in helping find his guest's identity. Once they hit land in their candy toys, they roamed the streets getting swallowed up by city lights and meeting herds of beautiful and exotic women. Each was familiar with the almighty Pimp, yet they all referred to him by countless different titles, most commonly Sweet Swisher Jones, Tony Snow, and, to women and men alike, quite simply Pimp C.

Pimp saw no use in dwelling over his past, so he joined forces with Bernard to form a duo. Inspired by Pimp C, Bernard attempted to conjure up his own rap name: after “Bagel B” failed to resonate, he settled for the moniker “Bun B” (against his creative integrity). The two then took a leave of absence from the ever-demanding and tiring chores of pimping and selling crack to your mother to work on their music.

After a slew of successful underground releases, the duo known as UGK (or Underground Kingz, hence all of the underground releases) released what many consider to be their magnum opus, their third full-length project Ridin' Dirty. Set on continuing the tradition and seeing if anyone was even fucking paying attention, Ridin' Dirty, like its predecessors Too Hard to Swallow and Super Tight, was given a title that could be looked at as sexual innuendo, among other things.

And now lets analyze the Pimp’s preaching. And the other guy? He's not too shabby, either.

(May Chad Butler pimp in peace.)

1. INTRO (FEAT. SMOKE D)

Completely forgettable dialogue (monologue?)-driven intro, one which I suppose gains points for giving the album a cohesive feel, as it weaves its way throughout Ridin' Dirty. Clearly the members of UGK were aware of Max’s fondness for rap album intros: pretty much every other song or so includes an intro and/or an outro just to win him over.

2. ONE DAY (FEAT. Mr. 3-2 & RONNIE SPENCER)

One of my favorite rap songs ever. N.O. Joe & Pimp C sample a smooth Isley Brothers tune. UGK associate Mr. 3-2 lends a very memorable verse about supporting himself through illegal means and knowing the fate he ultimately faces. Bun B doesn’t upset, reminiscing on his dead peers, his incarcerated sibling, and the fact that he could soon follow suit. Pimp delivers the last verse, giving details on his day-to-day activities (which include smoking sweets and cooking ki’s before the clock strikes nine - multitasking at its finest), his incarcerated friends, and God’s reasoning behind the lives he takes. Because of the the emotion in his verse, Pimp C's verse has always reminded me of Scarface's cameo on Jay-Z's “This Can't Be Life”. “And when I got on my knees that night to pray / I asked God why you let these killers live and take my homeboy’s son away?” Classic and heartfelt.

3. MURDER

A complete 180 from the previous track, as this features an in-your-face, blaring instrumental complete with whistles and what I imagine are the didgeridoos John C. Reilly needed more of in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. After years of finding this song too blatantly noisy and not actually, oh, I don’t know, pleasing to the ears, I recently had a severe change of heart. While most of Ridin' Dirty consists calmer songs, “Murder” is a welcome change of pace, and it brings back memories of other aggressive, unapologetic trunk rattlers from the Kingz. Bun B delivers one of his strongest verses of the entire album, too.

4. PINKY RING (FEAT. KRISTI FLOYD)

To put it simply, the production on here is extremely funky. Pimp C showcases his southern-drawled singing ability while the duo brag about their assorted vehicles, marijuana, women and pinky rings (of course). I feel Bun B might have even outdone his partner, as he comes through with another commendable performance. Side note: when I was young I did my share of hustling, and I used to think it was cool to be flashy, but even as someone who stupidly wore gaudy gold chains and watches, I never could understand how a grown man would want to wear a pinky ring. Then again, it became fashionable to dress like Steve Mercury, so wearing pinky rings is pretty masculine by comparison.

5. DIAMONDS & WOOD (FEAT. REGINALD HACKETT)

After a short talk with our narrator again, we get another introspective song in nearly the same vein as “One Day” and just as satisfying. If I were to choose one song that summed up UGK, this would probably be Exhibit A. Everything necessary is present: a screwed hook, a signature Houston-style instrumental, and the two rappers (especially Pimp C) spilling their respective hearts out, touching on various subjects but mainly focusing on adversity. Pimp gives one his most polarizing and heartfelt performances ever, making some very keen and astute observations. Pimp C is a great example of the complexities and flaws in all people: with the same breath that may get him swallowed under a street light, he will make you want to give up criminal ways and better yourself. His bevy of subjects include his baby mama denying him the right to be a father, the jealously and envy he is subjected to, and, most importantly, the guilt on his conscience from hustling and the substances he abuses to ease his mental and physical pains.

6. 3 N THE MORNIN' (FEAT. BIG SMOKIN' MITCH)

One of the most subdued tracks on the album. Laid back almost to a fault, but still holding your attention, and Pimp C knocks his melodic hook out of the park. Just a carefree, relaxing joint to cruise to.

7. TOUCHED (FEAT. MR. 3-2)

Our orator returns for a short period of time. Afterward, Bun B spits a verse that’s probably most notable for containing lines that Jay-Z borrowed for his own “99 Problems”: “Now once upon a time not too long ago / a n---a like me once had to strong arm a ho”. A serviceable song, but maybe the closest thing resembling filler on Ridin' Dirty, although Pimp C's charisma stands out as always.

8. FUCK MY CAR

Pimp C and Bun B aren’t stupid. They’re crude, overweight and chances are girls don’t view them as all that handsome, but they don’t care, because according to them, your woman is a materialistic bop who will consent to absolutely anything after seeing their expensive flashy vehicles. This is secretly your “happily married” father’s theme song whenever he cruises in his Porsche to either pick up some Rogaine or to loiter in the parking lot of the local community college. Oh, the song? Pretty damn comical and great.

9. THAT'S WHY I CARRY (FEAT. N.O. JOE)

As the title suggests, this song is obviously about those male purses Kanye West and his colorful group of Village People stand-ins are fond of. If you somehow missed the memo distributed on every other gangsta rap album, you should know that people like to start shit everyday, in every possible way, so it is recommended that you carry a weapon. This was another good track that can only be considered weaker when compared to the other exceptional music on Ridin' Dirty.

10. HI-LIFE (FEAT. N.O. JOE)

Features more of Chad repenting. The guilt isn’t a facade: he seems to be treating the studio as his own private confessional. Bun B and Pimp C could reiterate the same things again and again, but when they do it with such conviction and truth, it rarely gets tiring.

11. GOOD STUFF (FEAT. REGINALD HACKETT)

I don’t find it wise to start a song with some barely decipherable mumbling regarding “n----s still kissin' and jackin' they dick under the car”, but hey, Ridin' Dirty has nearly reached platinum status with zero videos shot and no official singles ever released, so the gibberish (is it homoerotic or homophobic? You decide) could have very possibly led the marketing campaign. Mr. Butler and N.O. Joe utilize an extremely popular sample that helps provide a very 1980’s-esque vibe that Pimp and Bun mesh with perfectly. Good stuff, indeed. The production and hook are just so feel-good that you'll want to start scatting as well. Pimp C gets pretty explicit and raunchy, as one would expect from a pimp.

12. RIDIN' DIRTY

The duo conclude the actual musical portion of the program with another sparse, extremely mellow and slower instrumental. Chad keeps it on a somewhat lighter note, talking about his car, his love of lean and swisher sweets (as he was contractually obligated to do on every song he ever recorded), and as one would cleverly assume, “Ridin' Dirty”. Bun B makes me laugh every single time when he notes how now cops instruct him to put his hands on his head, as opposed to as a kid, where the song instructed to to put your hands on your knees.

13. OUTRO

The Narrator is aware the album is reaching an end, and yet he has something important to get of his chest first. Remember those guys from “Good Stuff” who were making out? Yeah, they're still at it, and it apparently really gets his goat. Also, he thinks you should know that prison is not fun, because a little fun fact they neglect to elaborate on in the brochure is that your freedoms are severely limited. Afterward, Pimp C gives some random words of wisdom and shout-outs, one of them aimed at, interestingly enough, Lil' Boosie. My last thought as the album ends is how fucking high-pitched Lil' Boosie's voice must have sounded as a child: he probably made dogs go crazy whenever he spoke. Thankfully, human ears aren’t in tune to such high pitches.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Ridin' Dirty has few faults. Almost every track is entertaining, and even the ones that pick at your brain and conscience are largely fun. The songs don’t grow tired even though the subject matter and production style is fairly similar throughout: instead, the project ends up sounding even more cohesive. As far as Bun B and Pimp C go, this album is, in many ways, a showcase for their mastering of the craft and illustrates a very natural progression in their careers. The production is also noticeably smooth, as N.O. Joe helps Pimp C refine and enhance his sound to create their signature Texas soundtrack. UGK, unlike many of their more popular and clearly inferior peers, don’t find joy in tricking you into believing that selling drugs is the key to a lavish lifestyle that always results in piles of money, luxury cars and beautiful women with no sacrifice. Pimp C and Bun B don’t reinvent the wheel, but they offer their brand of gangsta-ism in a very sincere and uncanny way. Ridin' Dirty is one of the smoothest, consistent, and refreshingly different albums to be released during one of the most prolific periods in hip hop history.

BUY OR BURN? Buy this, obviously.

BEST TRACKS: "One Day"; "Diamonds & Wood"; "Murder"; "Pinky Ring"; "Good Stuff". However, I suggest you let the whole album play through.

-Alex

(Questions, comments, and concerns go below.)

Underground Kingz - Too Hard To Swallow (November 10, 1992) & Banned (1992)

The Southern Way, the first album from the Texas duo Underground Kingz (or UGK, as they'll be referred to from now on), didn't exactly move a ton of units, as they were sold almost exclusively out of only the finest car trunks in the greater Houston area, but one of those tapes found their way to an employee at Jive Records, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Whoever the fuck "they" are.

Rappers Bun B and the late Pimp C received adequate financing to record and release their major label debut, Too Hard To Swallow, in 1992. Over half of the disc is made up of the same songs that had previously appeared on The Southern Way, albeit in a remastered and, on occasion, lyrically revised form. The duo threw in a handful of original compositions for good measure, and a Southern classic was born.

As expected, Too Hard To Swallow sold extremely well in their target market, but the surprising part of their tale is the mainstream attention the project kinda-sorta achieved. Their slow-rolling grooves eventually found an audience around the country, primarily due to word-of-mouth advertising (specifically from king of the hill Jay-Z, although his endorsement would come much much later), enabling UGK the justification to continue recording, although they would soon suffer through the same issues with their label as every single other rap act in Jive's fucking history.

1. SOMETHING GOOD (EXTENDED VERSION)
The music has switched up a bit (sample issues, maybe?), but otherwise, this is the same track as the radio version that appeared on The Southern Way. It's important that I make that distinction for the two of my readers that want to make sure they hear the hilariously vulgar original version of the track: this ain't it, folks.

2. USE ME UP
Same story as the last track, except there was no radio version of "Use Me Up" on the debut disc. This track is almost entirely different from its original, filthier incarnation. Both this song and the previous track were obsessed with sex, in a comically graphic fashion, and I suppose it's possible that Jive Records was aiming for the celibate demographic. Sadly, the "dirty" version is much more entertaining.

3. POCKET FULL OF STONES
This may just be me, but I tend not to like rap songs that move along so slowly that you're as likely to fall asleep as you are to possibly enjoy the music. Most UGK fans, if they read this blog, will probably trash my write-up because of my last sentence, but I don't give a fuck: I didn't like this song.

4. SHORT TEXAS
The same track from The Southern Way, although the sound is cleaned up a lot.

5. COCAINE IN THE BACK OF THE RIDE
See above.

6. IT'S TOO HARD TO SWALLOW
Meh.

7. CRAMPING MY STYLE
I made the mistake of commenting that Jay-Z's "Ignorant Shit" was the first to sample the second part of "Between The Sheets" from The Isley Brothers, but the truth is, I forgot about "Cramping My Style". I've realized that the reason I had forgotten about this song, however, is because it blows.

8. FEEL LIKE I'M THE ONE WHO'S DOING DOPE
There's no reason for this song to be over six minutes long (in fact, most of these tracks are longer than necessary), but Pimp C's tale of a bad trip (in the vein of the movie ending of American Psycho and not the Bret Easton Ellis novel) is pretty goddamn vivid in its description.

9. I'M SO BAD
I'm confused as to why two of the graphically sexual songs had to be redone for this album, but then songs such as this are included in all of their filthy glory. Anyway, this song is really terrible, as Pimp C sounds like he's forcing the issue, but the hook includes a boast that is just downright funny.

10. TRILL ASS N---A
Please refer to the comment for "Short Texas".

11. 976-BUN-B
See above.

12. SOMETHING GOOD (PIMP C'S REMIX)
Completely unnecessary.

FINAL THOUGHTS: If you somehow got a hold of The Southern Way, then you've already heard over half of Too Hard To Swallow, and the remaining tracks are consistently unimpressive, with the exception of the one I mention below. Pimp C and Bun B don't offer anything different with their major label debut, and while that may be just peachy with the crew's fans, there is actually no reason for anybody else to listen to this album. Musically, the beats aren't even as expansive as they were on The Southern Way, and this is with a bigger budget. Strange.

BUY OR BURN? A burn is sufficient, as only a handful of these tracks will survive a few days on your hard drive anyway.

BEST TRACKS: "Feels Like I'm The One Who's Doing Dope"

Prior to the release of Too Hard To Swallow, Bigtyme Records dropped an EP by UGK entitled Banned, which was allegedly made up of five songs which were recorded for the major label debut, but then deleted by Jive Records for being too raunchy. In reality, Banned consists of only two fucking songs, their respective instrumentals, and an intro, which is extraneous for an EP release in the first place, which makes this a glorified maxi-single more than anything else. I don't have information on how well this "EP" sold, but I'm truly hoping that it moved zero units and bankrupted the fucking company.

Here's why.

1. INTRO
Over a barely-there beat, Bub B spits a quick verse in reference to why he's much more real than you are and ever will be. No word on where Pimp C was during the recording of this intro, however.

2. PREGNANT PUSSY
This song is hilariously wrong. It's obvious that Bun B and Pimp C were using their Jive Records budget to record some of the most ridiculous shit ever, just to test their boundaries. It's also entirely possible that they wrote this comically graphic tale (which somehow manages to mix together the concepts of sex with a pregnant woman and statutory rape at the same time, although it seems to be consensual) just to make everybody laugh, with absolutely no intention of it ever seeing the light of day, and the suits at the label freaked out.

3. PUSI MENTAL
This is just the instrumental to the previous song.

4. MUTHAFUCKA AIN'T MINE
The title enough isn't enough to get you banned: witness "Dat Baby (Don't Look Like Me)", the recent hit by Shawty Putt, who is living proof that we have officially run out of rapper names. Hell, even threatening to assault a pregnant woman isn't enough to get you banned, as both Eminem and Biggie have discussed just that (the lyrics referring to the actions were edited out, but the songs themselves still made their respective albums). Pimp C and (especially) Bub B's abortion techniques are pretty fucked up, though, and shouldn't be recommended to anybody.

5. INSTRUMENTAL
Of the previous song, naturally.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This EP is a fucking mess. Since the two actual songs on here are so over the top that, had UGK recorded them today, they would be specifically for the mixtape market only, I found it hard to believe that these tracks were ever meant for an official release. I've heard worse from underground rappers, content-wise, but I don't buy that the artists were ever serious to begin with. Their cavalier attitudes are comically absurd, and while a few of you may find this shit funny, the rest of you won't even give this a second glance, which may be a good thing.

BUY OR BURN? This is only for the diehards. All others need not apply.

BEST TRACKS: None.

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
Underground Kingz - The Southern Way

Underground Kingz (UGK) - The Southern Way (1992)

Texas rap duo the Underground Kingz, who usually referred to themselves as UGK because Kinko's charged the group per letter for printing their show flyers, is made up of Bun B and the late Pimp C, who accidentally overdosed in 2007 on codeine syrup while suffering from sleep apnea. Prior to his unexpected passing, UGK had slowly become the, well, kings of Texas-based hip hop, rivaled only by fellow pioneer Scarface (late of the Geto Boys).

The crew was started by Chad "Pimp C" Butler in 1987, originally as a four-man group who called themselves the 4 Black Ministers, but eventually two of the men would disappear into obscurity. Even though they surely performed at multiple venues, no actual recorded music was made available until 1992, when they released The Southern Way on Bigtyme Recordz, a label that was clearly destined for greatness. Only available on cassette tape, this EP found its way to an executive at Jive Records, who saw the potential of two guys talking maaad shit in Texas accents, and they found themselves signed almost immediately to a record deal. All the label did was essentially retool The Southern Way and include some newly recorded tracks for their actual major label debut, Too Hard Too Swallow, but if we're being technical here, this is their true debut.

UGK's storied career would continue to build at a gradual pace, with occasional high-profile guest appearances (such as on Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'") combined with everyday local legend-building, thanks to the tiresome efforts of Bernard "Bun B" Freeman to publicize the crew even though Pimp C's mouth got him into trouble on more than one occasion. It certainly helps that their musical output seems a lot more inspired than your average Houston-area rap artist: the difference is that, while UGK talk about a lot of the same shit (hoes, grillz, cars, Houston, random acts of violence, Radiohead), their musical backdrops speak volumes. Their beats, put quite simply, are not what you would expect the average Southern rapper to spit to, and yet Pimp C and Bun B did so with ease.

A quick side note before we begin: the album cover pictured above is not the original artwork for The Southern Way. As I mentioned before, this album was only released on cassette tape: however, in 2007, The Southern Way was apparently re-released with tons of bonus tracks, which doesn't sound like quite a feat when you consider that there were only seven songs on this album to fucking begin with.

But I digress.

1. COCAINE IN THE BACK OF THE RIDE
You can tell right from the jump: this isn't your average rap album from the South. Pimp C comes off as a guy that just recently discovered cursing and wanted to share his findings with the world, but for a guy whose flow is unpolished, he still sounds okay. Musically, this track is pretty fucking good, and it easily detracts from the fact that Bun B sounds like he's trying to imitate Pimp C. That Curtis Mayfield sample is an interesting choice, as well.

2. SHORT TEXAS
This is impressive. Bub B and Pimp C come off as already-established artists trying to maintain their standings in the hip hop rankings, so much so that you may not have realized that this was one of their first songs ever. The beat is fucking amazing, and both artists knowingly calm the fuck down prior to spitting their verses. You won't even care that this song is over six minutes long for no good reason, except that I suppose it makes long car rides seem that much shorter.

3. TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD
Takes its sweet-ass time getting started, but once it does, you'll either be offended or laughing your ass off to Pimp C's ridiculously vulgar first verse. You can probably guess what song gets sampled from the title of this song, though, and I gotta tell you, that was a turn-off for me.

4. TRILL ASS N---A
A Bub B solo track that sounds alright, I suppose, but it's nothing special.

5. 976-BUN-B
Another Bun B solo cut, but this one works, if only because it's so goofy that it's impossible to not like. I could have done without the "Fly Like An Eagle" sample, although The Steve Miller Band is pretty fucking gangsta, so I guess I can connect the dots.

6. USE ME UP
Essentially a Pimp C version of "976-Bun-B", and works just as well, especially since the tales of random sexual encounters sound more natural coming from Chad.

7. BONUS CUT
This is actually the radio version of "Tell Me Something Good", which is fucking hilarious: Pimp C's offensively vulgar first verse on the original track is technically cleaned up on here, in that he doesn't curse (all of the verses are reworked as such), but somehow, his rhymes sound even more vulgar, because it isn't just the naughty words that make a song sound explicit. Personally, I thought it was hysterical that Pimp C retained his lines describing his fucking some other dude's girl, and then bragging that whenever the other guy goes down on his chick, he's really tasting Pimp C's "jimmy wine" on his tongue: even for a cleaned-up radio version, that imagery is dirty as hell. And for that, kudos.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Don't get me wrong: The Southern Way is ignorant as fuck. But this isn't the type of album that the average person will buy blindly: oh no, you know exactly what you're getting into with a UGK disc. As a debut album, this isn't bad at all: its production values clearly run the gamut from ten dollars to eleven-fifty, but what they lacked in proper funding, UGK made up for with the musical selections and the flows (not necessarily the rhymes). I can completely understand why UGK scored their major label deal almost immediately after the last copy of The Southern Way was sold out of a car trunk, but for the life of me I still don't know why they were signed if Jive Records had no fucking clue what to do with them. But that's just me.

BUY OR BURN? Trick question: you can't actually buy this album. (I couldn't even find a good picture of the album cover online: did you really think you could go down to Best Buy for this one?) Since all of the tracks were reworked for their major label debut, Too Hard To Swallow, you may just want to track that album down instead (or wait until I possibly get to it), but for fans of Southern rap in general, or if you want to know what music from the South sounds like when it doesn't suck, this is an excavated gem.

BEST TRACKS: "Short Texas"; "Cocaine In The Back Of The Ride"; "Use Me Up"; "976-Bun-B"

-Max