Notes & Personnel Info |  | Tru: Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Halleluyah (rap vocals). | | Additional personnel: Lil' Romeo, C-Murder (rap vocals). | | Photographer: Ken Hollis. | | Since DJ Screw's death in 2000, the leader of the south Texas-based "chopped and screwed" style is Michael "5000" Watts, a Houston-based remixer who has taken DJ Screw's idiosyncratic style and ran with it. A chopped and screwed version, in its simplest incarnation, is simply the original track slowed down to somewhere between 50 and 75 beats per minute, with occasional drop-outs and other bits of dub-style sonic trickery added. The results are legendarily supposed to mimic the effects of a cough syrup high, but just as often, it simply sounds like you're listening to the album on a Walkman with the batteries dying. The Truth (Chopped and Screwed) is simply Watts' version of Tru's underwhelming 2004 comeback album, The Truth, and while the original album's fundamental flaws -- most notably a lack of really inspired rhymes -- are largely obscured by the novelty of the new settings, Watts sounds like he's pretty much just going through the motions here. At its best, this style can produce a genuinely hallucinogenic musical experience, on a par with Lee "Scratch" Perry's most out-there work, but on The Truth (Chopped and Screwed), Watts' customization of the original tracks suggests that the remixer is starting to run out of ideas. ~ Stewart Mason | | Master P's No Limit -- be it the old or new No Limit -- has always been accused of being stuck in a rut and releasing albums that are more of the same thugging and swaggering. But thugs just coming to know No Limit through Tru's The Truth have it better than old-school fans thanks in large part to Drumma Boy. He's the producer behind every great track on the album, and if it weren't for his work, The Truth would be a tedious failure. It may have been six years since the last Tru album, and the lineup of Master P's group may have changed, but when it comes to the volatile thug numbers, lyrically nothing has changed. This would be fine if Tru was filled with top-notch rappers, but they're only fair when it comes to flowing during the verse, a bit better when chanting a chorus. The album is overstuffed with rousing calls to arms, all with militaristic beats and that synth-horn P loves, but with the hypnotic and horribly catchy loops Drumma Boy lays under these tired rhymes, The Truth ends up being a lot better than expected. The sleazy numbers fare much better since it seems P and the boys are more moved by booty than warfare, while a guest appearance by an inspired C-Murder straight from his jail cell adds value to the album. No Limit detractors can take justified shots at The Truth, but in the hands of Drumma Boy, Tru's same-old, same-old style might not sound fresh, but it's more exciting than expected. ~ David Jeffries | | With the revival of No Limit Records, it was inevitable that a TRU album would follow and, indeed, 2005's THE TRUTH appeared after six years of silence. While the group hadn't released a record in that time, its individual members haven't been quiet, as its ranks are the all-stars of the New Orleans label. Originally, TRU consisted of No Limit mastermind Master P and his two brothers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker. For THE TRUTH, however, Halleluyah technically stands in for the incarcerated C-Murder (who does appear on one track), while the album proves to be a showcase for the best of the No Limit roster. | | TRU opens strong on THE TRUTH with a ragtime-era piano line lending an eccentric air to "Where U From," the standard--but still powerful--shout-out to the group's home turf. The album swiftly slows the pace for the delicate "Photo Book," as Master P sweetly reflects on time spent with his brother Silkk and his son, Lil' Romeo. Newcomer Halleluyah, with his smooth, confident Nas-like delivery, is given plenty of chance to shine, particularly on the otherworldly "Welcome to New Orleans." Through it all, tough mixes with tender, while basketball references and unabashed beats abound, making THE TRUTH a quintessential No Limit release. |
Producer: Myke Diesel; Bass Heavy; Kaos; Drumma Boy; Myke Diesel; Bass Heavy |
Engineer: Myke Diesel; Bass Heavy; Djuan Baham; Drumma Boy |
Musical Guests | | C-Murder | | Lil' Romeo |
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