Underground Kingz
| Underground Kingz | ||||
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| Studio album from UGK | ||||
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Publication |
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| Label (s) | Jive Records | |||
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Format (s) |
Double CD |
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Jazze Pha , Pimp C , Swizz Beatz u. a. |
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Underground Kingz is the fifth studio album by hip-hop duo UGK . It is also the last album by the group that Pimp Cs was released during their lifetime . Underground Kingz was released as a double album on August 7, 2007 in the United States and on August 24, 2007 in Germany on the Jive Records label . It is the first album by the two rappers, with which they entered the American charts at number one.
Emergence
After the fourth studio album Dirty Money by the group UGK was released in 2001, Pimp C, who is one half of the duo, was sentenced to prison in January 2002. The rapper was imprisoned until his release on December 30, 2005. In the meantime, Pimp C's partner Bun B released a solo album and ensured, among other things through the often chanted slogan Free Pimp C , that the name of the southern duo is maintained. After discharge Pimp C released his album first Pimpalation and founded along with Bun B label UGK Records . Then the two rappers began working on Underground Kingz , which, like its predecessor Dirty Money , was later released via Jive Records .
Track list
| CD 1 | CD 2 |
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Guest Posts
Underground Kingz features guest contributions from 23 different hip hop artists. This large number of guest musicians was criticized negatively in various reviews . The main part of the appearing rappers are like UGK from the US-American southern states. OutKast and TI are each involved in one song. Other popular guest musicians are the singer Charlie Wilson , who is featured on two songs, the Three 6 Mafia , who won an Oscar the year before , and the Florida rapper Rick Ross . The song Two Type of Bitches features Pimpin 'Ken and Dizzee Rascal . A few months earlier, UGK were featured on the British grime musician's album Maths and English .
Other participations in Underground Kingz include Young TOE, DJ B-Do, Vicious, Middle Fingaz, Willie D and Cory “Mo”, which are little known in Germany. The Texan Scarface can be heard on Still Ridin 'Dirty and the music producer Jazze Pha on Stop-N-Go .
Furthermore, the rappers Too Short and Slim Thug are each involved in a piece of music. Trill Niggas Don't Die was made with the participation of Z-Ro and Shattered Dreams under that of Sleepy Brown. In addition, Talib Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn are represented on Real Women and Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap on Next Up . In an interview, UGK commented on the reasons for the extensive guest list.
“People these days want to know who you're down with. So we just unpacked and showed how connected we really are. But still, the backbone of the album is the classic UGK sound. We don't have to follow trends, after all, a lot of what people do today is based on our early things. We stick with what we know and that is timeless music. "
production
A large number of hip-hop musicians were involved in the production of the album. UGK member Pimp C is responsible for the beats of eight songs. These are Chrome Plated Woman , Underground Kingz , Quit Hatin 'The South , Heaven , How Long Can It Last , Still Ridin' Dirty , Real Women and Shattered Dreams . The producer duo Juicy J and Paul contributed the instrumentation of Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) . Furthermore, the rapper Scarface produced the beat for Life Is 2009 and the musicians Beat Masta Wes & Averexx produced the beat for The Game Belongs To Me . The from Memphis originating Jazze Pha is responsible for three productions. These can be assigned to the songs Gravy , Stop-N-Go and Tell Me How Ya Feel . Like That (Remix) was produced by Steve Below and Take Tha Hood Back of The Runners. The background music for Trill Niggar's Don't Die was provided by Bido 1, Joe Traxxx and Yung Fyngaz. Other productions have been made by The Blackout Movement ( Cocaine ), Momo ( Two Type Of Bitches ), Scarface & Biggtyme ( Candy ) and Cory Mo ( Outro ). Lil Jon , who is one of the most commercially successful artists in the crunk genre , is involved in the sound carrier through the piece of music Like That . In addition, were living this life of NO Joe and Joe Scorese and Next Up by New York DJ Marley Marl produced.
illustration
Most of the cover is covered by photography by rappers Bun B and Pimp C. This picture was taken from the central perspective . Both men are wearing sunglasses and baseball caps . The lower part of the body is covered by the UGK logo and an Underground Kingz lettering. In the background there are various images, which are designed in orange tones.
reception
success
The single for the song Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) reached number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States . In addition, Rolling Stone magazine voted the piece of music at number ten on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007 . This puts the song one place ahead of the musician Kanye West's piece Stronger . On December 6, 2007, two days after the unexpected death of rapper Pimp C, it was announced that Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) had been nominated for a Grammy in the category of best rap by a duo or a group . However, the duo could not win this.
Underground Kingz sold 156,000 times in the first week after it was released. The sound carrier thus rose to number one on the Billboard 200 . By December 2007 a total of 516,000 units had been sold.
Reviews
The reviews of Underground Kingz were mostly positive. The German hip-hop magazine Juice described the sound carrier as an “above-average album by two true pioneers in rap history”. Underground Kingz received four out of a possible six crowns from the magazine's editors. The magazine negatively criticizes the numerous guest appearances of befriended hip-hop musicians who, from the point of view of the editors, have to be described as "average goods" with a few exceptions.
“In the 15th year since the first publication, Pimp C's nosing slang and Bun B's OG baritone complement each other as perfectly as cough syrup and soda . On ticking hi-hats, sluggish snares and instrumentation in live aesthetics, the underground kings report on everyday life in the dirty south. […] A few of the strongest songs have already been leaked in advance: The great Int'l Players Anthem with the colleagues from Outkast, for example, the extra-relaxed The game belongs to me or the Juice Crew homage Next with Kane and G Rap on a real Marley Marl beat. […] Unfortunately, a double album is always one of those things: 29 tracks in a row, 130 minutes total running time, that is usually tiring even for the most entertaining rappers, there is no other way for UGK. Despite a thoroughly coherent vibe, too much filler material simply snuck onto the double disc. "
Even the Rolling Stone magazine criticized the length of the album and lifts the pieces The Game Belongs to Me and Int'l Players Anthem out positively. The editorial staff of the US magazine rated Underground Kingz with 3.5 out of a possible 5 stars.
Underground Kingz received a particularly positive rating from Allhiphop.com. The editors of this website gave the sound carrier 8.5 out of a possible 10 stars and named it the best of the hip-hop albums released in 2007 from the southern United States. The review praised the portrayal of the glamorous and bad sides of life on the southern streets.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Juice , May 2007, p. 62
- ↑ Juice , May 2007, p. 64
- ↑ a b Title list, cover and listing of the producers. ( Memento of the original from January 24, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. XXLmag.com
- ↑ Chart tracking of Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) in the USA ( Memento from January 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Listing of the 100 Best Songs of 2007
- ↑ UGK Score First # 1 Album ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ^ Juice , September 2007, p. 120
- ↑ Album Review by the Rolling Stone (English)
- ↑ Rating of the album. Allhiphop.com (English)
