Search - Bun B :: Trill

Trill Recognize Trill- Bun B keeps UGK alive. Free Pimp C !

J. Highsmith | Mitchellville, Maryland United States | 11/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although I had heard of UGK before, I started paying attention to them once I heard a track called "Wood Wheel". J Prince, of Rap A Lot, released a 2 CD set entitled The Realest ..... Down South" and "Wood Wheel" was featured on there. UGK made a video for "Wood Wheel" and then I started to notice who they were. Once Jay Z featured them on "Big Pimpin'" and Three 6 Mafia featured them on "Sippin' On Some Sizzurp", that's when I decided to check into UGK's CD catalog. The first CD that I purchased was "Ridin' Dirty". Anyone that had UGK's CDs told me that was the 1st CD I should check out. I was instantly hooked with the title track, "One Day", which had a tight Isley Brothers sample and "Diamonds & Wood", which is still my favorite UGK song today. I eventually purchased "Super Tight" and "Too Hard To Swallow" as well. "Dirty Money" was supposed to be released and I kept waiting and waiting but with the politics that were going on between UGK and Jive Records, the CD kept getting delayed. "Dirty Money" was finally released and believe me it was worth the wait. Although, the momentum they had created with "Big Pimpin'" had worn off they still managed to create classics like "Choppin' Blades", "Look At Me", "Ain't That A B...." with Devin The Dude and the title track. UGK fans weren't disappointed eventhough there was only 10 tracks of new material on the CD. UGK fans would be dealt another blow once Pimp C was sent to jail and left Bun B alone to keep the UGK name alive. I always wondered what a Pimp C or Bun B solo CD would sound like but I didn't think either was possible sent UGK was such a strong unit as a group.



I didn't hear too much from Bun B, other than some collaborations he had been featured on like "Bezzle" with TI & 8Ball and MJG, "Gots To Go" with David Banner and Devin The Dude and "The Streets" with 8Ball & MJG. Then all of a sudden, it seemed as if any Down South CD that came out Bun B had a verse on it. Mike Jones, Webbie, Paul Wall, David Banner, Slim Thug, Young Jeezy and others had Bun B guest appearances on their CD. It seemed as if Bun B was being recognized by other Down South artists for all that UGK had done for Down South rap music throughout the years. Bun B translated the success from UGK and his guest appearances to create "Trill".



The CD gets off to a nice start with "The Inauguration", which serves as the intro for the CD. Over a sample that even George Bush would love, Bun B puts his stamp on the Down South map. "Bun" is a decent track but compared to the other material that is on "Trill", the track doesn't hold too much weight. My favorite track on "Trill" is Track 3, "Get Throwed". "Get Throwed" is a track that has Bun B, Pimp C, Young Jeezy and Jay Z, yes Jay Z, trading verses while Z-Ro hooks up a nice chorus to the track. Ladies and gentlemen it doesn't get any "triller" than this track. Mr. Lee, who also produced "3 Kings" which featured Slim Thug, Bun B and TI, from Slim Thug's "Already Platinum", produced "Get Throwed" and definitely gets props from me on this track. "Draped Up" features Lil Keke and is the 1st single on "Trill". "Draped Up" is a tribute to the late DJ Screw and other people that were involved in the early stages of "screwed" music. This track is definitely one of the better tracks on this CD and was a good choice to be the 1st single on this CD. "I'm Fresh" is produced by Mannie Fresh and is a nice change of pace for Bun B. Mannie Fresh does the hook and Bun lays three tight verses to the track. "Trill Recognize Trill" features Ludacris and is produced by Lil Jon. What makes this track so nice is that this is not the typical "party" and get the club crunk Lil Jon beat. This track is very "dark" and lets Bun B and Ludacris get some things off their chest while they are rhyming. "Pushin'" features the real King Of The South, Scarface and the soul survivor himself, Young Jeezy. The tales of hustlin' and being on the grind have been heard before but you won't mind after hearing this track. Young Jeezy doesn't have as much lyrical weight as Bun B and Scarface does but that doesn't bring the quality of the track down at all. "I'm Ballin" featuring Jazze Pha may be a little bit much for Bun B fans. Once you hear Jazze Pha say "I'm Ballin'" for the 10th time, you'll want to fast forward the track, but Bun B still manages to hold his own on the track. "What I Represent (UGK)" is also produced by Mannie Fresh and while the track may not be as tight as "I'm Fresh", the song is still worth listening to. "The Story" is definitely one of the best tracks on "Trill". The Bido track tells the UGK story from day one and the track is about 6 minutes long. Bun B starts from the beginning and gives details about the problems with different management groups and with Jive Records. The beat will remind you of an old Geto Boys track from back in the day. Bun B slows it down on "Hold U Down". The song is co-produced and features Trey Songz with Mike Jones and the Birdman himself laying verses down with Bun. I can atleast listen to the track, but some core UGK fans may not be able to get down with a track like this. "I'm A "G" features TI and is also one of the better tracks on "Trill". TI gives a nice verse and Bun B holds hsi own on another Mr. Lee track. The track that is a sharp contrast from anything that I have heard from Bun B or UGK is "Git It". Imagine "Wait (The Whisper Song)" or "Play" with Bun B having a verse on the track. I know that's hard to imagine but that is exactly what "Git It" is. Although it's hard to believe Bun B holds his own weight to the Ying Yang Twins on the club bouncer. However, I think that Bun B is definitely straying way too far from the UGK realm on this one. Bun is not afraid to take chances so I still must give him props for doing something different. "Who Needs A B...." is the Bun B that I am use to and with Too Short and Juvenile joining him on the track, Down South fans know what this song is about. "Retaliation Is A Must" features Bun B's Middl Fngz crew. Bun B has the best verse but his crew does make decent contributions on the track. The H Town All Star remix of "Draped Up" is a classic. It's hard to imagine how he got Mike Jones, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Lil Flip on the same track. I am pretty sure that some of them recorded their verses in separate studios or they showed up to the same studio at different times so they wouldn't run into each other. A classic remix was the end result regardless of the situation. Aztec and Z-Ro didn't keep up with the others too well but they didn't do that much damage to mess things up. "Late Night Creepin'" is a bonus track that was included on "Trill" and once you listen to it then you will realize why since it adds no value to the CD whatsoever. Bun B would have done better off with just leaving this song off of the CD.



Overall, "Trill" ends up being one of the best releases from the Dirty South in the year 2005. Some people will say that there are too many guest appearances on this CD and I will agree with them. However, you also have to consider how many guest appearances that Bun B has made in the past 2-3 years. He has done his best to keep UGK alive and he should be commended for that. Although, this isn't a UGK CD, Bun B holds his own for Pimp C and anyone involved in the UGK movement. If you are a fan of UGK, you can not afford to pass up on "Trill".



FREE PIMP C, YOU KNOW IT MANE!!



James' Top 5



1) Get Throwed w/Pimp C, Jay Z & Young Jeezy

2) The Story

3) Draped Up

4) Trill Recognize Trill w/Ludacris

5) Draped Up (H Town Mix) w/ Lil Keke, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Chamillionaire, Lil Flip, Aztek & Z-Ro



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Trill Explains it All

Lil Beezy | Kansas City, KS | 12/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Everyone listens to rap for different reasons: beats, lyricism, punchlines, stories, messages, etc. When listenin' to Bun B's Trill, you get all of that. You can't really go wrong if every facet of the rap game is covered. Being a record from the dirty dirty, I assumed there'd be songs about purple drank, swangas, grillz, woodgrain, and candy paint; those being big parts of the southern culture and all. However, I was surprised to actually hear about other things than just that (I'm talkin' to you Paul Wall). We all get to hear "The Story" of UGK and the struggle to keep it trill while gettin' their sound out. Now that Pimp's in jail, Bun hasn't forgotten him (if only half of my friends were as loyal to me as Bun is to Pimp C). Bun's rhyme scheme isn't anything special, but he has a way to capture your attention because he rhymes with passion and charisma (something hip-hop's forgotten about in the past few years). His delivery is the exact opposite of Young Jeezy's; it's on beat and sharp. So, lyrically, the album doesn't disappoint. The subject matter is the usual stuff, but there's something about Bun B that's different. So, that aspect of the CD is good. On to production... Wow. That's really all I can say. Collipark, Lil Jon, and others, know how to make a beat. On "Who Need a "B" not only do you have a dark, grimy beat, but you get a cowbell as well! HA HA, I love it. Anyway, I'm not too big on long ass reviews, but this CD's worth it. So, if you like Bun B, crunk music, hella good line up of guest appearances (Too Short 4 LIFE), and sick beats, then I recommend this CD. If you like tracks like Laffy Taffy, Candy Shop, or any other songs that relate sex to candy, then this record's probably not for you. Sorry mane."

(3.5 Stars) You Will Get A Thrill with Bun B's 'Trill'

Charles L. Hubbert | Milwaukee, WI | 11/02/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Bun B has been in the rap game since the 1980s and has no signs of stopping any time soon. From his early work with Pimp C to the pinnacle of his career with the guest appearance on Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin" off Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter in 1999, Bun B has seen the best and worst of times over the years. His label woes, the incarceration of Pimp C, and his fight to stay relevant in a ever-changing Rap arena are all examples of the things that could make or break a rap career. Politics, interruptions, and significance are the major factors that ultimately decide how far any rapper will go in the music business. Bun B has that drive that every artist should have if they want to seriously make a living off this rap game. He 'knuckled up' and focused on cleaning up his act, getting right with the record execs, and popping up on songs on the albums of anybody willing to trade verses with a certifiable legend. He kept his eye on the prize, and for Bun B, that was simply doing what it took to keep the UGK name out there while Pimp C remained in jail. He continues his push with the solo release of Trill, a culmination that everybody always wanted but ultimately only surfaced because of necessity.



Trill starts off with an introduction by Rap-A-Lot's J. Prince and Bun B highlighting things like the whole New Orleans fiasco, the 'Free Pimp C' movement, and his aspirations of being the unofficial president of the South. Right after that, he rips out a verbal assassination on "Bun," and resurrects Jay-Z from "retirement" to join him as well as Young Jeezy and Z-Ro on the song "Get Throwed." The first single "Draped Up" showcases some conventional UGK-sounding grooves, along with "What I Represent" and "Retaliation Is A Must." Anyone looking for an autobiography of Bun B can hear it on the song "The Story" where he details the good, the bad, and the ugly. But Bun B ventures beyond his comfort zone and does a few songs that are not typical UGK songs. "I'm Ballin" featuring Jazze Pha is more radio-friendly than most anything UGK has ever done. Scarface collaborates with Bun and Young Jeezy on "Pushin," an attempt to appeal to the pimps, players, and the hustlers still reppin' for the streets.



Tracks like "Git It" with the Ying Yang Twins and the slow R&B-tinged "Hold U Down" with Trey Songz, Mike Jones, and Baby leave loyal fans raising their eyebrows while the bandwagon crowd will embrace it without thinking twice about it. "Who Need A B" is injected with Juvenile and Too Short's vocals along with Short Dog's production that has remained the same since Born To Mack. It's almost a given that Ludacris offers a unexciting appearance on "Trill Recognize Trill." And the weird "Late Night Creepin" features a peculiar participation from Skinhead Rob and Travis Barker of the punk rock group The Transplants. Trill is nevertheless a decent album considering Bun B had to pretty much go at it alone. But with the possible release of Pimp C from confinement by year's end, Bun will be able to put UGK back on the front burner.

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