Notes & Personnel Info |  | The Parental Advisory version of this CD is available with two different covers, one featuring Trillville (Reprise 48556), and the other featuring Lil Scrappy (Reprise 48691). | | Personnel includes: Lil Scrappy, Trillville, Pastor Troy, Hotballs Johnson, Mr. Easy, Cutty, Bohagon, Caskit, Big Nod, Grip, Lil Jon, Bo Hagon, Stay Fresh, Buck Thrusthorne. | | Producers: Lil Jon, Scrappy, Don P., Joe "Da Bingo" Bing. | | Ah, to be young and crunk. You don't need to worry about being deep in the world of crunk, but if you don't have the right amount of confidence and swagger you can come off as desperate. Party rap has been this way long before Luther Campbell made the South its new home and long before Atlanta's Lil Jon was crowned the King of Crunk. The King presents two of his most skilled subjects on King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Lil Scrappy or King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville, depending on which version you choose. Both contain the same tracks -- half by Trillville, half by Lil Scrappy -- with the only difference being who's on the cover and who gets to go first with their set. Considering how most crunk CDs should come with expiration dates ("Not crunk after May 30th") and run out of ideas after eight or so tracks, this split CD is smart marketing. The hits -- Trillville's "Neva Eva" and Lil Scrappy's "Head Bussa" -- are great examples of the differences between the two acts. Trillville come from the 2 Live Crew school of irresponsibility, but they're more concerned with looking tough than sleazy. Past the boisterous and fun "Neva Eva" there's the "Weakest Link," which cops the game show's "You're the weakest link, goodbye" dismissal and morphs it into an infectious chorus. Using the carnal creak of mattress for "Some Cut"'s backbeat is a brilliant bit of production from Lil Jon, but the rest of the highlights are Lil Scrappy's. Scrappy is a lot less concerned with partying and less crunk, but his deeper skills show his future is brighter than Trillville's. "Head Bussa" takes longer to sink in than "Neva Eva," but it's more street smart and more rewarding in the end. "Bootleg" has some great observations on the shady world of CDs that sell out of inner-city gas stations, while "Crunk Radio" has more to say than most interludes and skits. Lil Scrappy can't lose when he combines Twista's rapid style with dancehall's right-on-the-beat stutters. "Diamonds in My Pinky Ring" and the simply awesome "E.I.L.A." are the best examples, but there really isn't a whack track on Lil Scrappy's set. Just to add to the party, Lil Jon throws a slow, grinding track by newcomer Bohagon at the end. It's short but a slick enough reason to keep an eye out for his release, especially if Lil Jon keeps up with this don't-wear-out-your-welcome format. ~ David Jeffries | | Ah, to be young and crunk. You don't need to worry about being deep in the world of crunk, but if you don't have the right amount of confidence and swagger you can come off as desperate. Party rap has been this way long before Luther Campbell made the South its new home and long before Atlanta's Lil Jon was crowned the King of Crunk. The King presents two of his most skilled subjects on King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Lil Scrappy or King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville, depending on which version you choose. Both contain the same tracks -- half by Trillville, half by Lil Scrappy -- with the only difference being who's on the cover and who gets to go first with their set. Considering how most crunk CDs should come with expiration dates ("Not crunk after May 30th") and run out of ideas after eight or so tracks, this split CD is smart marketing. The hits -- Trillville's "Neva Eva" and Lil Scrappy's "Head Bussa" -- are great examples of the differences between the two acts. Trillville come from the 2 Live Crew school of irresponsibility, but they're more concerned with looking tough than sleazy. Past the boisterous and fun "Neva Eva" there's the "Weakest Link," which cops the game show's "You're the weakest link, goodbye" dismissal and morphs it into an infectious chorus. Using the carnal creak of mattress for "Some Cut"'s backbeat is a brilliant bit of production from Lil Jon, but the rest of the highlights are Lil Scrappy's. Scrappy is a lot less concerned with partying and less crunk, but his deeper skills show his future is brighter than Trillville's. "Head Bussa" takes longer to sink in than "Neva Eva," but it's more street smart and more rewarding in the end. "Bootleg" has some great observations on the shady world of CDs that sell out of inner-city gas stations, while "Crunk Radio" has more to say than most interludes and skits. Lil Scrappy can't lose when he combines Twista's rapid style with dancehall's right-on-the-beat stutters. "Diamonds in My Pinky Ring" and the simply awesome "E.I.L.A." are the best examples, but there really isn't a whack track on Lil Scrappy's set. Just to add to the party, Lil Jon throws a slow, grinding track by newcomer Bohagon at the end. It's short but a slick enough reason to keep an eye out for his release, especially if Lil Jon keeps up with this don't-wear-out-your-welcome format. ~ David Jeffries | | The crunk sound bubbled out of secret swamps underneath the gritty streets of Atlanta well over a decade before Lil Jon and his Eastside Boyz were proclaimed kings. However, undeniable ex-DJ and record executive Lil Jon brought out the music's most granular, elemental form and drove the aggressive, infectious, dance-floor grinding sound into an unforeseen stratosphere of platinum. Fittingly, the rap guru showcases two of Atlanta's strongest purveyors of crunk, Trillville and Lil Scrappy, with two individual albums worth of material packed and intertwined on one relentlessly pounding record. | | Lil Scrappy opens, declaring "I'm on top of the world, ma," which embodies the inebriated spirit of the Southern-fried sound, then promptly gets rowdy with anthems like "Head Bussa" and the sinister "No Problem." Trillville's three-headed monster of Big Mouf, Don P, and LA brings it even harder and more unyieldingly, rapping disturbingl over a variation on the Halloween theme on "Get Some Crunk in Yo System" and righteously rhythmic over a game-show refrain on "Weakest Link." Lil Jon knows how to mix music, and the two acts he combines weave into each other perfectly for one beat-fueled party. |
Musical Guests | | Lil Jon | | Pastor Troy | | Twista | | Stay Fresh | | Buck Thrusthorne | | Hotballs Johnson | | Mr. Easy | | Cutty |
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