Notes & Personnel Info |  | P$C: AK , Mac Boney, T.I., Big Kuntry, C-Rod. | | Additional personnel: Young Jeezy, Lloyd, Young Dro, Cee-Lo. | | Audio Mixers: Jonathon "Lil' Jon" Smith; Manny Marroquin; Mr. Leslie Braithwaite; Josh Butler; Ray Seay. | | Recording information: P$ West Studios, Atlanta, GA; Platinum Sound, New York, NY; Stankonia Recording, Atlanta, GA. | | Photographer: Phil Knott. | | The title of this album, of course, is an acknowledgment of the group members' ages. Though each member of Atlanta's P$C is under the age of 25, they've been running together for several years, long before central member T.I. was named by Teen People as one of the 25 hottest stars under the age of 25. And now that the self-proclaimed King of the South has blown up, proving Pharrell to be wise for dubbing him "the Jay-Z of the South," he has the kind of clout that allows him to bring his crew along for their own taste of nationwide exposure. What 25 to Life lacks in comparison to T.I.'s string of often-brilliant solo albums is depth, but it certainly wasn't designed to offer that. (The thematic differences between Young Jeezy's frequently advisory Thug Motivation and Boyz N da Hood's relentlessly antagonistic self-titled album run parallel to this situation.) From front to back, there's little beyond threats, boasts, violence, partying, and womanizing, yet it's mostly energizing, supported by sharp -- if hardly innovative -- beats from several young producers (including Tony Galvin, Keith Mack, Reese, and Sapp). The biggest highlight, unsurprisingly enough, is the Lil Jon-produced "The King," reprised from the Hustle & Flow soundtrack. It's one of the few cases where T.I. takes center stage, and it's also one of the better-all-around tracks. Though the MC's fans will be disappointed in his otherwise supportive role, the album is no joke and won't diminish the anticipation for T.I.'s next solo move. ~ Andy Kellman | | On their T.I. presented debut, 25 TO LIFE (the five members are all under 25), Atlanta's Pimp Squad Click declare "this ain't hip-hop...this is drive-by music" and back it up with a ferocious slice of street life. While there's the occasional breath, as on the soulful Cee-Lo sporting ballad "Walk This Way" and the contemplative "Like a Movie," most of P$C's raps come fast and heavy, with hooks snuck in where you'd least expect them--for example, on the rolling "Westside" and on one of Lil' Jon's best production moments, "I'm a King." |
Producer: Tony Galvin; Jonathan "Lil' Jon" Smith; Keith Mack; DJ Montay; Crown Kingz; Jasper Cameron; Tony Galvin; Jonathan "Lil' Jon" Smith; Reese; Sapp; Khao |
Engineer: Chris Carmouche; Cyrus; Serge Tsai; Elliott Carter |
Musical Guests | | Young Joezy | | Young Dro | | Cee-Lo | | Lloyde |
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