| If "Ha" and "Back That Thang Up" set new standards for dirty south hip-hop, then the songs on Juve The Great will raise the bar even higher for those trying to appeal to hip- hop fans who like their music unsweetened and not watered down. Case in point, in the CD's lead single, "In My Life," Juve dishes out an unabashed tribute to his ballin' lifestyle. "I'm just talking on there," he laughs. "It's just got that Juve vibe." And that "Juve vibe" runs throughout Juve The Great, which, as expected, features production by Cash Money's resident hitmaker Mannie Fresh. From the old-school-flavored "Bounce Back" -- featuring 'millionaire' Baby -- to the dirty anthem, "Down South Posted" with Wacko.
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Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel: Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, Brian "Birdman" Willams, Wacko, Skip, Soulja Slim (rap vocals). | | Producers include: Ad Future, Mannie Fresh, Griz, Slice T, Sha Money. | | Recorded at Ocean Way, UTP, Nashville, Tennessee; Circle House, Studio Center, Miami, Florida. | | This is an example of the Southern Rap "screwed" mix style. | | Personnel: Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, Brian "Birdman" Willams, Wacko, Skip, Soulja Slim (rap vocals). | | Producers include: Ad Future, Mannie Fresh, Griz, Slice T, Sha Money. | | Recorded at Ocean Way, UTP, Nashville, Tennessee; Circle House, Studio Center, Miami, Florida. | | Audio Mixers: Dave Junco; Juvenile; Brian Stanley . | | Recording information: Circle House Studios, Miami, FL; Ocean Way Studios, Nashville, TN; Studio Center, Miami, FL; UTP Studios. | | Juvenile returned in late 2003 with a slightly atypical album, Juve the Great, after having dropped off for roughly three years, which is a long time in rap years. A lot of wonder arose during his absence. In fact, a lot of wonder had arisen at the time of his previous release, Project English (2001). At that time, rumors circulated widely that Cash Money Records' top gun was breaking away from the pack, which was indeed what happened in the end, as Juvenile returned to the underground and formed his own collective, the UTP Playas (Uptown Project Playas), with whom he recorded a posse album, The Compilation (2002). Well, not much came of that album (for instance, very few people even knew it was released), and a year later, Juvenile returned to the Cash Money fold under hushed circumstances. His return effort is somewhat of a hybrid and thus mighty curious: for half the album, Juvenile collaborates with his UTP crew (rappers Wacko and Skip; producers Griz and Slice Tee), while for the other (and better) half, he collaborates with his old Cash Money comrades (rapper Baby and rapper/producer Mannie Fresh, but no Hot Boys). Despite the hybrid nature, Juve the Great plays as a whole surprisingly well, mainly because Juvenile remains Juvenile throughout, regardless of whom he's collaborating with. It's a fine effort on his behalf, more thoughtful than usual (this is clearly his album, not just another product churned out by Cash Money). Even so, except for the standout song "Bounce Back" (a Fresh production crafted around a brilliant Cameo sample), there aren't any clear-cut highlights -- Juve the Great is clearly not a chart-topping effort ? la 400 Degreez. Granted, a few songs do stand out -- among them the album closer, "Slow Motion," a simple yet appealing collabo with Soulja Slim -- but they are few and far between. The end result isn't a return to form, but rather an atypical album for Juvenile that may not be remarkable, but is at least interesting, which is more than what can be been said for some of his previous efforts. ~ Jason Birchmeier | | Juvenile rose from the New Orleans projects' "bounce" dance scene and turned into one of Cash Money Records' most popular artists on the strength of his 1998 album 400 DEGREEZ and its wildly popular hit single "Back That Azz Up." And while JUVE THE GREAT may not quite rise to the heights of that album and its multi-faceted depictions of New Orleans gangsta life, tracks such as "Down South Posted" and "Bounce Back" will keep fans of the rapper and of the Dirty South well satisfied. Still, irrefutable proof that Juvenile is no run-of-the-mill Cash Money soldier lies in "Numb Numb," his finely-honed expose of coke dealing New Orleans-style, which manages to be hypnotic, revealing, sympathetic and chilling, all in the space of five minutes. | | Juvenile rose from the New Orleans projects' "bounce" dance scene and turned into one of Cash Money Records' most popular artists on the strength of his 1998 album 400 DEGREEZ and its wildly popular hit single "Back That Azz Up." And while JUVE THE GREAT may not quite rise to the heights of that album and its multi-faceted depictions of New Orleans gangsta life, tracks such as "Down South Posted" and "Bounce Back" will keep fans of the rapper and of the Dirty South well satisfied. Still, irrefutable proof that Juvenile is no run-of-the-mill Cash Money soldier lies in "Numb Numb," his finely-honed expose of coke dealing New Orleans-style, which manages to be hypnotic, revealing, sympathetic and chilling, all in the space of five minutes. |
Engineer: Adrian 'Drop' Santalla; Steven Nowa; John "JP" Pegram; Dave Junco; Abebe Lewis |
Musical Guests | | Baby | | Wacko | | Soulja Slim | | Mannie Fresh | | BirdMan | | Skip |
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