So I thought this would be an interesting pick for a few reasons. The first being that I think it’s just absolutely sick, still sounds totally fresh to me, but I also think it’s an important record.
This is the album that launched Cash Money’s, and by extension Southern rap as whole, total dominance of '00s hip-hop. But in the shadow of stars like Lil Wayne its easy Juve’s huge influence and legacy.
Everyone should know the two absolutely massive singles but the rest of the album bangs too. Tunes like Flossin Season and Rich Niggaz (Mannie’s hardest beat?) are just as good and although its maybe a tad overlong there’s not much i’d skip.
Maybe it’s a bit rockist but I’ve always loved rap albums with a single producer and Mannie and Juve have a particular synergy. Reading this Mannie interview is totally fascinating and helps explain why they’re so totally in sync. Instead of Juvenile writing to already made beats, Mannie crafted the beats for especially for Juve’s raps and hooks. I’d always felt there something pleasingly off-kilter about these tunes but it took ages for me realise it was because Juve couldn’t count bars and Mannie would just cut the beat to whatever length he felt like rapping for!
It also sounds so uniquely New Orleans. Obviously there’s the bounce feel running throughout the beats but there’s also something bluesy about Juve’s flow and cadence that seems to channel the spirit of the city. He has that cool ability to wring melody out of his flows and hooks in a way that really set the trend for a lot of rappers in recent years. Crazy that he was only 22 at the time but sounds so wise and world weary.
Although it’s very much Juve’s album its also a showcase for the rest of the Cash Money crew. It’s cool to hear Lil Wayne sounding so young and still honing his craft, reminding yourself how great B.G. was and reminiscing about the time when Birdman actually rapped and wasn’t just a pantomine villain.
Lots more I could say but lets just appreciate how great the Ha video is.
