Chamillionaire and Rasaq. Photo by Matt Sonzala |
Last month, we lamented the legal troubles of Diddy's other manservant, Prettyboy Loon. But having already rode for Harlemworld with our stink-pink "FREE LOON" tee, it's time to focus our attention on someone who needs it more: Pimp C. For those who think "Big Pimpin'" was the first Southern rap track, take heed. UGK (Pimp C and Bun B), hailing from Port Arthur, Texas, was releasing classic albums when Jiggaman was still rocking a Gumby fade. (Need proof? Check 1992's Too Hard To Swallow, 1994's Super Tight and 1996's Ridin' Dirty).
So while you're busy telling the South to step up its vocab, these Texas boys have been grindin'. And in the case of Pimp C, perhaps a bit too hard. After getting convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon, Pimp was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison, a bid he's still serving, and from which he is not eligible to be paroled until next year. And 'tis a shame, because without UGK and the Geto Boys, Texas might still be the rap backwater that, say, Oklahoma is. Or Alabama. Or St. Louis. Tee hee.
Instead, Texas is the next Atlanta. Or more to the point, the next Harlem. At this year's SXSW conference, the scene's full range was on display in a showcase sponsored by Damage Control Radio and the irreplaceable Murder Dog magazine. There were some problems: Bavu Blakes' set suggested a failed audition for some A Tribe Called Quest cover outfit, and Bun B's extended crew Mddl Fngz could barely be heard over each other. But the rest of the show revealed a Houston to be reckoned with, primarily thanks to two outstanding crews: Chamillionaire & the Color-Changing Click; and the legendary Swishahouse crew, featuring Paul Wall, Magnificent, and the godhead Michael Watts behind the decks. (Props go to Tosin of thescrewshop.com and to some random white kid in the crowd, both of whom were holding down "FREE PIMP C" tees.)
Together, Paul Wall & Chamillionaire released Get Ya Mind Correct in 2002. It's one of the most overlooked albums of the past few years. Not only did the two have natural chemistry, they came up with the most amusing song title of rap's capitalist era, "My Money Gets Jealous."
In Austin, they each performed their verse from their Southern classic "N Luv Wit My Money," but they never once shared the stage. Rumor is that there's no bad blood between them, but that business interests led them apart. Of the two, Paul Wall has been the first to strike out alone. His debut, Chick Magnet, nosed its way onto the Billboard R&B/Rap Albums chart in March. It figures to gain Paul Wall national attention, thanks to strong production and solid guest appearances from Bun B, the indomitable Mr. Pookie, and Poppy of the G.R.I.T. Boys. (The G.R.I.T. Boys new mixtape, 713 New South Movement, is even better, with excellent flows over the beats from "Baby Boy," "What Happened To That Boy," and "Get Em Girls," among others.)
But there's competition on the horizon, and it's coming from close to home. On "Thinkin' Thoed," from Get Ya Mind Correct, Paul Wall comedicaly fessed, "To tell you the truth, Chamillionaire's better than me." He's right. And though Chamillionaire might not yet have his own solo album—his lawyer is currently shopping it to major labels—some of his best work can be found on the recent DJ Smallz mixtape Southern Smoke 7: I'm Watching You, Watching Me. There's a handful of freestyles, the best of which re-imagines "Slow Jamz" as "Screw Jamz," featuring Chamillionaire seducing the ladies with that syrup-sipping goodness.
On "They Don't Know," the lead single from Chick Magnet, Paul Wall asks, "What you know about the S.U.C.?" And indeed, the Screwed-Up Clique, the circle of protégés that surrounded the late DJ Screw—everyone from Lil Keke to Big Pokey to Big Moe to Lil Flip—has moved on to make way for this second generation of throwed young players.
But while "platinum in da ghetto" Lil' Keke never made it out the hood—during SXSW, I found a flyer for a Screwed-Up Sundays freestyle battle he was hosting the following week (grand prize: $100)—Flip, the onetime "Freestyle King," has made a seamless transition to the mainstream.
On U Gotta Feel Me, his second major-label album, Flip's aiming for up-North radio love. And he's getting it, thanks to "Game Over," the Pac-Man-sampling club banger, as well as a strategic alliance with the Dip Set. They guest on Flip's album, and on the Lil Flip Presents Clover G's mixtape, his crew's anthem is rapped over "Gangsta Music." As Southern rap gets more and more acceptance up North, the bedfellows will get even stranger. But here's hoping we won't someday be pouring one out for DJ Screw, and then one more for the scene he helped pioneer.
JON CARAMANICA
