Big rich review ......not so good...
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Three 6 Mafia
By Jordan Selbo
Contributing Writer
Predicting the winner of this year's best song at the Oscars was easy—how could a Memphis horror-core group with foundations in…
Predicting the winner of this year's best song at the Oscars was easy—how could a Memphis horror-core group with foundations in quasi-satanic goth-rap not win over Dolly Parton and those other lames? Oh, you didn't know that Three 6 Mafia (now 15 years deep) used to be known as Triple 6 Mafia (as in 6-6-6)? The only cats to make an almost phobic avoidance of innovation…well, innovating.
To say Three 6 has a distinct style is an understatement on par with “George W. is a dummy.” Even if the moniker now masks their horror-core roots, increasingly claustrophobic beats and relentless flows damn sure don't. DJ Paul and Juicy J combine wall-to-wall organs set to creepy minor keys and weeded violin strings, all on top of skittish hi-hats on helium and basslines syruped up something awful (“sippin' on some siz-erp”). Lyrically the 6 keeps to, ahem, familiar material—though getting older, these three cats are still pimping, spliffing, syrup sipping and Henni mixing, collar popping and big billing Memphis representers—in other words, the laundry list of tired gangsta clich鳬 more or less.
That's why the first few listens left me with vague feelings of emptiness and discontent. To be fair, I've recently been knee-deep in classic joints, my love of (and hope in) Hip Hop reinvigorated by everyone from the Jungle Brothers to Edan. These Three 6 dudes just sounded like aging gangstas unwilling to elevate creatively (or too comfy to care—Ice Cube, anyone?). But dutifully, I gave the album a few more spins, and wouldn't you know…the 6 grew on me, respect due. `Cause for all their tired truisms, there're just as many grown-ass man truth-telling sermons (and by sermons I mean violent verbal beat downs).
Most Known… is simply more Three 6 than any other Three 6 joint has ever been. That means that on “Knock Tha Black Off Yo Ass,” they manage to become the first people in history (besides your pops) to make the song's title phrase sound more menacing than silly. It also means that “I think they better call Bush `cause it's a natural disaster/ when I unleash my pistol grip Bushmaster” is as political as you're gonna get (or for the Democrats, there's: “do me like Bill Clinton girl, take it out ya mouth/ we'll shoot it right there on your dress”).
The Three 6 essence also means the unofficial motto, provided by Eightball on the banging single “Stay Fly” (read: “Stay High”), could be “smoke all night, sleep all day/ that's to me, the American way.” Seriously, these cats are making it hard for me to honor my temporary vow of celibacy towards Mary-Jane (not be confused with my main girl Jane-Marie, what up!). There's just something about woozy nihilism that makes me want to get tore up from the floor up and stagger to the nearest club to scuff some Air Force Ones…and I don't even like clubs!
And that, kiddies, is why the 6 are the Most Known Unknown. Haters call it a particularly vile form of creative bankruptcy, but I'd label it self-assured and intoxicating resilience. Three 6 know they're the shit (“and if you don't know, now you know”). Once it gets real hot (say, August), I'll be able to play this joint on my porch, pretending I'm in the hot sticky mess of Memphis, spliffed up and ice grilling elderly passersby. Like the 6, it may not be pretty, but it's sho' nuff true.
Final verdict: 2.5 joints (out of 4)
[email protected]
By Jordan Selbo
Contributing Writer
Predicting the winner of this year's best song at the Oscars was easy—how could a Memphis horror-core group with foundations in…
Predicting the winner of this year's best song at the Oscars was easy—how could a Memphis horror-core group with foundations in quasi-satanic goth-rap not win over Dolly Parton and those other lames? Oh, you didn't know that Three 6 Mafia (now 15 years deep) used to be known as Triple 6 Mafia (as in 6-6-6)? The only cats to make an almost phobic avoidance of innovation…well, innovating.
To say Three 6 has a distinct style is an understatement on par with “George W. is a dummy.” Even if the moniker now masks their horror-core roots, increasingly claustrophobic beats and relentless flows damn sure don't. DJ Paul and Juicy J combine wall-to-wall organs set to creepy minor keys and weeded violin strings, all on top of skittish hi-hats on helium and basslines syruped up something awful (“sippin' on some siz-erp”). Lyrically the 6 keeps to, ahem, familiar material—though getting older, these three cats are still pimping, spliffing, syrup sipping and Henni mixing, collar popping and big billing Memphis representers—in other words, the laundry list of tired gangsta clich鳬 more or less.
That's why the first few listens left me with vague feelings of emptiness and discontent. To be fair, I've recently been knee-deep in classic joints, my love of (and hope in) Hip Hop reinvigorated by everyone from the Jungle Brothers to Edan. These Three 6 dudes just sounded like aging gangstas unwilling to elevate creatively (or too comfy to care—Ice Cube, anyone?). But dutifully, I gave the album a few more spins, and wouldn't you know…the 6 grew on me, respect due. `Cause for all their tired truisms, there're just as many grown-ass man truth-telling sermons (and by sermons I mean violent verbal beat downs).
Most Known… is simply more Three 6 than any other Three 6 joint has ever been. That means that on “Knock Tha Black Off Yo Ass,” they manage to become the first people in history (besides your pops) to make the song's title phrase sound more menacing than silly. It also means that “I think they better call Bush `cause it's a natural disaster/ when I unleash my pistol grip Bushmaster” is as political as you're gonna get (or for the Democrats, there's: “do me like Bill Clinton girl, take it out ya mouth/ we'll shoot it right there on your dress”).
The Three 6 essence also means the unofficial motto, provided by Eightball on the banging single “Stay Fly” (read: “Stay High”), could be “smoke all night, sleep all day/ that's to me, the American way.” Seriously, these cats are making it hard for me to honor my temporary vow of celibacy towards Mary-Jane (not be confused with my main girl Jane-Marie, what up!). There's just something about woozy nihilism that makes me want to get tore up from the floor up and stagger to the nearest club to scuff some Air Force Ones…and I don't even like clubs!
And that, kiddies, is why the 6 are the Most Known Unknown. Haters call it a particularly vile form of creative bankruptcy, but I'd label it self-assured and intoxicating resilience. Three 6 know they're the shit (“and if you don't know, now you know”). Once it gets real hot (say, August), I'll be able to play this joint on my porch, pretending I'm in the hot sticky mess of Memphis, spliffed up and ice grilling elderly passersby. Like the 6, it may not be pretty, but it's sho' nuff true.
Final verdict: 2.5 joints (out of 4)
[email protected]
THIS DUDE IS FROM SAINT PAUL, Minnesota NO WONDER HES GAY......"DONTCHA KNOW"
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=55160420
HAHAHAHA AND HE RUNS CROSS COUNTRY........WOW.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=55160420
HAHAHAHA AND HE RUNS CROSS COUNTRY........WOW.
one of the worst reviews I have ever read. I liked the album a lot, but even if I didn't this review is waaaaaaaayyyy off base. Since when is Big Rich Hyphy? There was maybe 3 songs you could categorize as Hyphy (and I liked them all). Dude was too busy hatin to even recognize that the beats KNOCKED. Too much bass? WTF?
I realize you can't please everybody, but a review like this is just fukking stupid...
I realize you can't please everybody, but a review like this is just fukking stupid...
Most critics are talentless assholes who wanted to do something, wasn't good at, tried again...still wasn't good at it and so what do they do? They write shit about others who are doing it in the real world. I bet he has his little era of rap that he thinks is what hip-hop is missing (and more times than not what he actually likes- isn't winning). Critics like to try to pick what isn't winning so that if it does they can say, "See I am the only one they knew this was a winner...I know it all". Fuck them- just make the best music you can, read the reviews and if the people and the critics views are matched then you (the atist) might need to humble yourself and listen.
This cat took the time to write an indepth review and explain why he didn't like the album but was also very open about where his biases come in and where his place is in the world. He is a fan and nothing more, and he understands that. Why most of you have your panties wet over the fact he didn't like the cd I don't know. The only thing I think is bad about it is that he didn't have his history correct.
I originally gave the album a 3/5 but after hearing it 5 or 6 times I think I'd give it a 4/5. The beats are pretty solid and there is enough solid tracks to play the CD all the way through. I would reccomend this to other Bay Area listeners.
With that said, he still makes a valid argument and some of the things he said was true. His main point I like seems to be hip hop artists have become interchangable and it doesn't matter who a rapper is or what his name is because the next guy sounds exactly alike. You are still getting the drug dealing bang bang shit on every track. On the Socal board there are fans and artists constantly asking what San Diego can do to put itself on the rap. The problem with putting SD on the map is almost all of the artists are gangsta rap artists. There are probably 150,000 gangsta rappers across the country and even if some in SD are better they are still talking about the same shit. If you want to get a name for yourself you need to seperate yourself from the pack which is something very few cats are doing and that is why hip hop has hit an impasse.
I originally gave the album a 3/5 but after hearing it 5 or 6 times I think I'd give it a 4/5. The beats are pretty solid and there is enough solid tracks to play the CD all the way through. I would reccomend this to other Bay Area listeners.
With that said, he still makes a valid argument and some of the things he said was true. His main point I like seems to be hip hop artists have become interchangable and it doesn't matter who a rapper is or what his name is because the next guy sounds exactly alike. You are still getting the drug dealing bang bang shit on every track. On the Socal board there are fans and artists constantly asking what San Diego can do to put itself on the rap. The problem with putting SD on the map is almost all of the artists are gangsta rap artists. There are probably 150,000 gangsta rappers across the country and even if some in SD are better they are still talking about the same shit. If you want to get a name for yourself you need to seperate yourself from the pack which is something very few cats are doing and that is why hip hop has hit an impasse.