Bun B - TrillMy first departure from the East for the blog, I present you Bun B's Trill.
Bernard "Bun B" Freeman was/is one half of the Southern hip-hop duo, UGK, alongside Chad "Pimp C" Butler. As of 2005, UGK had released a total of 5 albums. Their biggest breakthrough at the time was their appearance on Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'", which charted at #18 on the Billboard 100. Things were going good for them. They're past two albums peaked at #15 and #18 on the Billboard 200, respectively.
But then Pimp C was arrested. In 2002, Chad Butler was sentenced to 8 years for violating his probation. As with every arrest, the hip hop community protested. There were "Free Pimp C" t-shirts aplenty. With him not getting out until 2010, it looked as though UGK was over. In 2005, Rap-A-Lot Records released Sweet James Jones Stories, an album featuring primarily previously recorded vocals (he'd release Pimpalation, a completely new album the next year).
Without Pimp C by his side, Bun B took to working on his solo debut. The album's guest credits reads like a who's who of Southern hip-hop in 2005 (and Jay-Z). The production was provided by Southern producers. Bun B made the ultimate Southern hip-hop album. Hell, he even got a verse from Pimp C in there.
But was it good?
1. The Inauguration (feat. J. Prince)
Produced by Cory Mo
J. Prince is the CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records, Bun's label. He provides Bun with a quick intro, which Bun follows up with a one-verse wonder over a powerful Cory Mo beat. Overall, a pretty damn good intro.
2. Bun
Produced by KLC
This gets annoying after the first couple lines, which I'll blame to the sampled "Bun" which is put at the end of every line. That and KLC's beat isn't very good. And the end, where the "Bun" sample is repeated at least 20 damn times.
3. Get Throwed (feat. Pimp C, Z-Ro, Young Jeezy, & Jay-Z)
Produced by Mr. Lee
One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. Can you tell which thing is not like the others, by the time I finish my song? You can pretty much guess this Jay-Z's way of saying thanks to Bernard and Chad for taking time out of their lives to drop some verses on Jay's "Big Pimpin'". Bun channels some Rakim, quoting him in the first line ("When I came in to do', I said it befo'"). There's a video for this song, that doesn't feature Jay. Since he was too busy fucking Beyonce or something, Bun and Pimp just decide to split the available time and spit two verses. Z-Ro is stuck to hook duties (which is too bad, because I like him) and Young Jeezy's verse is absolutely boring. And unsurprisingly, Jay has the best verse on the song. Good job, Shawn!
4. Draped Up (feat. Lil' Keke)
Produced by Salih Williams
Lil' Keke drops by two spit one line, which he proceeds to repeat a total of 27 times. This was the first single and recieved a remix featuring everyone that (1.) thought they could spit and (2.) happened to be in the city limits of Houston that day, which we'll discuss later on. Bun sounds good, but Salih's beat is really boring.
5. I'm Fresh (feat. Mannie Fresh)
Produced by Mannie Fresh
In the same vein of Lil' Keke on the previous song, Mannie Fresh drops by to provide the hook, but also provides production. To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Mannie Fresh, except that he's on this album, was on Lil' Wayne's album, and was in a duo with Birdman. His beat on here is decent, but Bun's flow on the song really annoys me. "Bitch, you know Rap-A-Lot's the *pause* click, and UGK's the *pause* fam." It just really bugs me.
6. Trill Recognize Trill (feat. Ludacris)
Produced by Lil' Jon
There is way too much going with the beat, and it still sucks. Ludacris and Bun B's shared chorus sucks. Plus, Bun's first verse is way too simple, allowing Ludacris to outshine his host. And the whole "money speaks for itself, so we ain't gotta say shit" is funny, due to the fact they've made a career on "saying shit."
7. Pushin' (feat. Scarface & Young Jeezy) Produced by Mr. Lee
An odd combination here for the guests. One of the best Southern hip-hop artists (Mr. Scarface is Back, The Diary, The Fix; all amazing)... and Young Jeezy. Mr. Lee's beat here is actually pretty good. Bun, Scarface, and Jeezy all do one verse each, with the only chorus being the sample of "pushin'!". Scarface has the best verse here, outshining Bun, but, hey, Bernard, at least you did better Jeezy.
8. I'm Ballin' (feat. Jazze Pha) Produced by Jazze Pha
Jazze Pha's "LADIES... AND... GENTLEMEN!" at the beginning of every damn song he's involved with annoys me. And his need to refer to him as "Jazze Phizzle." Look, Phalon, we've already decided that the only person allowed to add "-izzle" onto anything is Snoop Dogg. Oh, and the song? It's meh.
9. What I Represent (UGK)
Produced by Mannie Fresh
Bun's lyrics are on point. Mannie Fresh's beat is pretty good. Even the chorus isn't that bad. I'm kinda surprised he didn't get a Pimp C verse on the song.
10. The Story
Produced by John Bido
I'm gonna say this is my favorite song on the album. Why? Bun rhymes for five minutes without any interruption, doing what pretty much is a autobiographical song over a pretty good beat by John Bido (who?).
11. Hold U Down (feat. Trey Songz, Mike Jones, & Birdman)
Produced by Trey Songz & Bei Maejor
A song for the ladies, which you probably could've guessed simply for the fact that Trey Songz gets a guest appearance. Mike Jones and Birdman's verses are absolutely boring... as expected.
12. I'm a G (feat. T.I.)
Produced by Mike Dean & Mr. Lee
This beat is really boring. Which, in turn, makes Bun's lyrics boring. Oh, and T.I.'s there, too.
13. Git It (feat. Ying Yang Twins)
Produced by Mr. Collipark
Skip.
14. Who Need a "B" (feat. Too $hort & Juvenile)
Produced by Bigg Tyme
The past four songs have been really boring.
15. Retaliation is a Must (feat. Mddl Fngz)
Produced by Sean Wee
Sorry, I meant "The past five songs have been really boring."
16. Draped Up (H-Town Remix) (feat. Lil' Keke, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Aztek, Lil' Flip, & Z-Ro)
Produced by Salih Williams
Anyone wanna tell me why Mike Jones and Young Jeezy are the only guests who appear twice? Why could've we have gotten two appearances by Chamillionaire and Scarface? Lil' Keke leads us off with a boring verse. Then we get Slim Thug, who actually sounds good. This is followed by my favorite of the guests, Chamillionaire, who provides the best verse. Paul Wall and Mike Jones combine to provide two boring verses. And then Aztek (whoever he is), provides a decent verse that his boring flow kills. Lil' Flip actually sounds pretty good. And then Z-Ro comes in to provide the second best verse of the guests. And then Bun B wraps it up with a pretty good verse. Well... at least it killed the list of boring songs in a row.
And what is considered as a bonus track...
17. Late Night Creepin' (feat. Skinhead Rob & Travis Barker)
Produced by Travis Barker
So, as thanks to Paul Wall for appearing on the "Draped Up (H-Town Remix)", Bun decides to showcase Skinhead Rob (horrible name, by the way) and Travis Barker of Paul's Expensive Taste. And this song is horrible.
Conclusion: The album starts off strong, with a couple missteps (which is acceptable). But after "The Story", it takes a sharp turn straight down. And it doesn't really pick up until the "Draped Up" remix. And because of that, I can't honestly suggest you buy this. Instead, hit up your local hip-hop downloads blog, and then go out and pick up UGK's Ridin' Dirty and UGK (Underground Kingz).
Coming Up Next
Jay-Z's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
Bernard "Bun B" Freeman was/is one half of the Southern hip-hop duo, UGK, alongside Chad "Pimp C" Butler. As of 2005, UGK had released a total of 5 albums. Their biggest breakthrough at the time was their appearance on Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'", which charted at #18 on the Billboard 100. Things were going good for them. They're past two albums peaked at #15 and #18 on the Billboard 200, respectively.
But then Pimp C was arrested. In 2002, Chad Butler was sentenced to 8 years for violating his probation. As with every arrest, the hip hop community protested. There were "Free Pimp C" t-shirts aplenty. With him not getting out until 2010, it looked as though UGK was over. In 2005, Rap-A-Lot Records released Sweet James Jones Stories, an album featuring primarily previously recorded vocals (he'd release Pimpalation, a completely new album the next year).
Without Pimp C by his side, Bun B took to working on his solo debut. The album's guest credits reads like a who's who of Southern hip-hop in 2005 (and Jay-Z). The production was provided by Southern producers. Bun B made the ultimate Southern hip-hop album. Hell, he even got a verse from Pimp C in there.
But was it good?
1. The Inauguration (feat. J. Prince)
Produced by Cory Mo
J. Prince is the CEO of Rap-A-Lot Records, Bun's label. He provides Bun with a quick intro, which Bun follows up with a one-verse wonder over a powerful Cory Mo beat. Overall, a pretty damn good intro.
2. Bun
Produced by KLC
This gets annoying after the first couple lines, which I'll blame to the sampled "Bun" which is put at the end of every line. That and KLC's beat isn't very good. And the end, where the "Bun" sample is repeated at least 20 damn times.
3. Get Throwed (feat. Pimp C, Z-Ro, Young Jeezy, & Jay-Z)
Produced by Mr. Lee
One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong. Can you tell which thing is not like the others, by the time I finish my song? You can pretty much guess this Jay-Z's way of saying thanks to Bernard and Chad for taking time out of their lives to drop some verses on Jay's "Big Pimpin'". Bun channels some Rakim, quoting him in the first line ("When I came in to do', I said it befo'"). There's a video for this song, that doesn't feature Jay. Since he was too busy fucking Beyonce or something, Bun and Pimp just decide to split the available time and spit two verses. Z-Ro is stuck to hook duties (which is too bad, because I like him) and Young Jeezy's verse is absolutely boring. And unsurprisingly, Jay has the best verse on the song. Good job, Shawn!
4. Draped Up (feat. Lil' Keke)
Produced by Salih Williams
Lil' Keke drops by two spit one line, which he proceeds to repeat a total of 27 times. This was the first single and recieved a remix featuring everyone that (1.) thought they could spit and (2.) happened to be in the city limits of Houston that day, which we'll discuss later on. Bun sounds good, but Salih's beat is really boring.
5. I'm Fresh (feat. Mannie Fresh)
Produced by Mannie Fresh
In the same vein of Lil' Keke on the previous song, Mannie Fresh drops by to provide the hook, but also provides production. To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Mannie Fresh, except that he's on this album, was on Lil' Wayne's album, and was in a duo with Birdman. His beat on here is decent, but Bun's flow on the song really annoys me. "Bitch, you know Rap-A-Lot's the *pause* click, and UGK's the *pause* fam." It just really bugs me.
6. Trill Recognize Trill (feat. Ludacris)
Produced by Lil' Jon
There is way too much going with the beat, and it still sucks. Ludacris and Bun B's shared chorus sucks. Plus, Bun's first verse is way too simple, allowing Ludacris to outshine his host. And the whole "money speaks for itself, so we ain't gotta say shit" is funny, due to the fact they've made a career on "saying shit."
7. Pushin' (feat. Scarface & Young Jeezy) Produced by Mr. Lee
An odd combination here for the guests. One of the best Southern hip-hop artists (Mr. Scarface is Back, The Diary, The Fix; all amazing)... and Young Jeezy. Mr. Lee's beat here is actually pretty good. Bun, Scarface, and Jeezy all do one verse each, with the only chorus being the sample of "pushin'!". Scarface has the best verse here, outshining Bun, but, hey, Bernard, at least you did better Jeezy.
8. I'm Ballin' (feat. Jazze Pha) Produced by Jazze Pha
Jazze Pha's "LADIES... AND... GENTLEMEN!" at the beginning of every damn song he's involved with annoys me. And his need to refer to him as "Jazze Phizzle." Look, Phalon, we've already decided that the only person allowed to add "-izzle" onto anything is Snoop Dogg. Oh, and the song? It's meh.
9. What I Represent (UGK)
Produced by Mannie Fresh
Bun's lyrics are on point. Mannie Fresh's beat is pretty good. Even the chorus isn't that bad. I'm kinda surprised he didn't get a Pimp C verse on the song.
10. The Story
Produced by John Bido
I'm gonna say this is my favorite song on the album. Why? Bun rhymes for five minutes without any interruption, doing what pretty much is a autobiographical song over a pretty good beat by John Bido (who?).
11. Hold U Down (feat. Trey Songz, Mike Jones, & Birdman)
Produced by Trey Songz & Bei Maejor
A song for the ladies, which you probably could've guessed simply for the fact that Trey Songz gets a guest appearance. Mike Jones and Birdman's verses are absolutely boring... as expected.
12. I'm a G (feat. T.I.)
Produced by Mike Dean & Mr. Lee
This beat is really boring. Which, in turn, makes Bun's lyrics boring. Oh, and T.I.'s there, too.
13. Git It (feat. Ying Yang Twins)
Produced by Mr. Collipark
Skip.
14. Who Need a "B" (feat. Too $hort & Juvenile)
Produced by Bigg Tyme
The past four songs have been really boring.
15. Retaliation is a Must (feat. Mddl Fngz)
Produced by Sean Wee
Sorry, I meant "The past five songs have been really boring."
16. Draped Up (H-Town Remix) (feat. Lil' Keke, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, Aztek, Lil' Flip, & Z-Ro)
Produced by Salih Williams
Anyone wanna tell me why Mike Jones and Young Jeezy are the only guests who appear twice? Why could've we have gotten two appearances by Chamillionaire and Scarface? Lil' Keke leads us off with a boring verse. Then we get Slim Thug, who actually sounds good. This is followed by my favorite of the guests, Chamillionaire, who provides the best verse. Paul Wall and Mike Jones combine to provide two boring verses. And then Aztek (whoever he is), provides a decent verse that his boring flow kills. Lil' Flip actually sounds pretty good. And then Z-Ro comes in to provide the second best verse of the guests. And then Bun B wraps it up with a pretty good verse. Well... at least it killed the list of boring songs in a row.
And what is considered as a bonus track...
17. Late Night Creepin' (feat. Skinhead Rob & Travis Barker)
Produced by Travis Barker
So, as thanks to Paul Wall for appearing on the "Draped Up (H-Town Remix)", Bun decides to showcase Skinhead Rob (horrible name, by the way) and Travis Barker of Paul's Expensive Taste. And this song is horrible.
Conclusion: The album starts off strong, with a couple missteps (which is acceptable). But after "The Story", it takes a sharp turn straight down. And it doesn't really pick up until the "Draped Up" remix. And because of that, I can't honestly suggest you buy this. Instead, hit up your local hip-hop downloads blog, and then go out and pick up UGK's Ridin' Dirty and UGK (Underground Kingz).
Coming Up Next
Jay-Z's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
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