Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Slim Thug (rap vocals); Pharrell Williams, Pusha, Bun B (rap vocals). | | Houston-based rapper Slim Thug ups the mileage on his debut, ALREADY PLATINUM, with this Chopped and Screwed edition. The album features the tracks from the original, but re-sequenced and highlighted by several key remixes, including ones for "Diamonds" and "I Ain't Heard of That." The nimble beats and woozy samples from the Neptunes and Jazze Pha still impress, as do Slim Thug's smooth Southern drawl and tales of gangsta domination. | | He isn't as versatile as David Banner, as wild as Young Jeezy, as hefty as Bone Crusher, or as suave or swift -- or even as slim, for that matter -- as T.I., but no obstacles have thwarted Slim Thug's progression. The MC, a native of Houston's north side, has cruised up a long ramp to nationwide success. He's more than happy to tell you this through the title of his first official album, released by the Neptunes' Star Trak label via Geffen. Slim Thug estimates that his mixtapes and appearances on other artists' tracks add up to a million in sales. It's one way to twist the actual definition of platinum (a million sales for one release, rather than a bunch of them), but it gets the point across: he's a force. On Already Platinum, he's not saying anything you haven't heard before. His insights are rarely unique, rifling through the same lyrical motifs you're likely to hear in most other Southern rap albums. This means little since fellow Southern MCs like Lil' Flip and Mike Jones have less than a small portion of his charisma. ("Still Tippin'," Jones' big hit, was helped tremendously by Slim Thug's presence. Dial up Jones at 281-330-8004 and remind him.) Throughout the album, Slim Thug ably lugs his deep, thick, smoothened drawl through a series of infectious flows. If an animated movie ever needs a voice for a character that's something like a 12-foot brick wall capable of hovering over land, he's the man for the job. Production-wise, the Neptunes (eight tracks) and Mr. Lee (three) are the stars, overlaying most of their beat work with twistingly baleful keyboard vamps. Somewhat shockingly, the two weakest tracks were put together by Jazze Pha (Ciara's "1, 2 Step"), whose shrill interjections are of no help. Luckily they're minor, fleeting trip-ups. Already Platinum is one of 2005's best rap albums. ~ Andy Kellman | | Possessed of a potent drawl leaving no doubt that he means what he says, Houston rapper Slim Thug rose through the mix-tape underground to a major-label deal with Geffen Records. His debut boasts production work from some of the best in the game, including the Neptunes, Jazzy Pha, and Cool & Dre. With friends like these, little can go wrong, and little does on ALREADY PLATINUM, an album that backs up its boastful title with powerful raps and innovative beats. | | On "I Ain't Heard of That," Slim proclaims himself the "rookie of the year" over a classic Neptunes beat, as he and cohort Bun B tell stories of their prowess in sports and pimping. Slim Thug's vocals flow steady, perfectly matching the beats--whether on the screwed-up, low-down bass of "Diamonds" or the blaxploitation-era soul of "Incredible Feelin'." "3 Kings" and "Ashy to Classy" serve as reminders that higher production values and street edge are far from mutually exclusive. |
Musical Guests | | T.I. | | Bun B | | Killa Kyleon | | Pusha | | Pharrell Williams | | Jazze Pha | | Young Jeezy | | Slick Pulla |
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| Spin (p.63)
- Ranked #15 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[W]ith tracks produced largely by the Neptunes, whose experiments in minimal, stern funk proved a perfect, if unlikely, complement to Slim's all-gravity basso profundo."Spin (p.99)
- "The whole thing reaches a dizzying peak on 'Problematic,' with jungle snares and frenetic bass scales." - Grade: A- Entertainment Weekly (No. 829, p.71)
- "...[A] steady, linebacker-strong flow and a baritone that makes James Earl Jones sound liek Pee-Wee Herman." - Grade: B |
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