Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Big Moe, Ronnetta Spencer, D-Reck, Tyte, Eyez, D-Gotti, Dirty $, Pokey, Project Pat. | | Producers: T-Gray, Blue, Salih Williams, Noke D. | | Recorded at Southside Studios, Holman Sound & Design and Wreckshop Studios, Houston, Texas. | | Personnel includes: Big Moe, Ronnetta Spencer, D-Reck, Tyte, Eyez, D-Gotti, Dirty $, Pokey, Project Pat. | | Producers: T-Gray, Blue, Salih Williams, Noke D. | | Recorded at Southside Studios, Holman Sound & Design, and Wreckshop Studios, Houston, Texas. | | Audio Mixer: Noke D. | | Recording information: Holman Sound And Design, Houston, TX; Southside Studios, Houston, TX; Wreckshop Studios, Houston, TX. | | To most urban/rap listeners, the Houston rap scene seemed more of a curious oddity than a serious breeding ground for great music. Purple World convincingly argues otherwise. It's a great album, plain and simple, on a par with the best albums that came out of New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles in 2002. The real beauty of Purple World, though, is how Big Moe sticks with his Houston peers. No, the Neptunes and Dr. Dre don't produce any tracks here, nor will you find P. Diddy or Snoop Dogg on Purple World. Instead, Moe teams up with Houston's finest: Lil' Keke, Lil' Flip, Hawk, D-Gotti, Big Pokey, Ronnie Spencer, and more. Plus, he works exclusively with producers Blue and Salih Williams, one of the keys to why Purple World is so amazing. These two may not be well-known, but they're incredibly talented. They have their own style -- smooth, melodic tracks that bounce along at a leisurely pace -- yet they're also not afraid to replay elements of popular songs like "Just the Two of Us" and "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)." The resulting beats are incredibly unique, much like Moe's sing-rapping. The big guy sings on every song, but his hooks never overwhelm the rapping. It's truly the best of both worlds. Purple World, and particularly the hit "Purple Stuff," cross the boundary between hardcore rap and pop-rap, offering you both at once. This, more than anything, is why it crossed over when so many other Houston artists failed to do so in the early 2000s. It appeals to everyone, from thugs to your little sister. ~ Jason Birchmeier | | Texas rapper Big Moe's second album is full of the relaxed, lazy rhymes that made his debut album, CITY OF SYRUP, such a hit in his home state. The rhythm tracks are similarly spare, just beatbox and keyboards. And if he's not exactly breaking any new ground in either style or subject matter (with the possible exception of his obsession with the color purple) he makes for an entertaining listen, particularly with the story-so-far exposition of "Still Da Barre Baby," played molasses-slow and greasy as a plate of ribs. "Dime Piece" is an infectious slice of old-fashioned R&B, while "It's About to Go Down" is a club-friendly romp, but "We Won't Stop" and "Thug Thang" both place Moe firmly back in big thuggin' territory--the former more business-oriented, the latter played strictly for pleasure. |
|
CD
