Sunday, April 5, 2009

Music Review: UGK: 4 Life


UGK: 4 Life
9.0/10




The past two years have been a roller coaster for the two man team known as the Underground Kingz, better known as UGK. A mix of incredible highs which started with the most influential member, the charismatic and at times lyrically harsh Pimp C, had just been released from a long bid in prison, and their last album released in 2007 was released to fan fare and even more critical success. The ride came to an end with the untimely death of Pimp C in late 2007, putting the group's future in question.

Surviving member Bun B has deemed "4 Life" the final album for the legendary duo, and encompasses all of the work that Pimp finished before his passing. Though he may not be here in spirit, it's clear that the legacy of UGK will still live on through this album.

Pimp C's touch is all over this album, he produced over half the album, with the signature jazz and country meets 808's sound that UGK has been known for since their debut almost 20 years ago. "Still On The Grind" is vintage UGK, and exemplifies the juxtaposition of Bun's breed of street smart tales and Pimp's explicit and rough outlook on life.

The best track on the album would have to be the Ronald Isley assited "The Pimp & The Bun", a smoothed out track that harkens back to their classic "Ridin Dirty" album in it's production and it contains the best definition of their relationship as well (as Pimp C says: "its the bun and the pimp the steak and the shrimp write my name across the sky in the blimp its UGK")

"4 Life" doesn't break the mold or show the duo in a new light, which actually isn't a downfall of this album. It is the quintessential album for the influential group, and I doubt that many die hard fans will be disappointed. Pimp C starts the album eerily stating that he's "in 2009, light years away". Hopefully the legacy of UGK will be around longer than that.

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