No, the three and a half (out of four) stars that I tossed to II Trill does not mean that I have resolved to only rock 22 inch rims and sip syrup in my candy-colored Caddy. Nor does it mean this blog is about to turn into a Paul Wall, Lil Flip or Mike Jones tribute page (Remind me who is Mike Jones again?). But Bun B never deserved to be lumped in with the rest of those amateurs in the late great imagined 2005 Houston takeover, where the National Association of Critics Who Discovered Rap in 2002 tried to use the dubious logic of “B.b.but they’re from Houston,” to ride for a bunch of no-talent mealy-mouthed MC’s.
Despite the mixed reviews its drawn, II Trill is a very good record. In my opinion, it’s more consistently enjoyable and focused than both Underground Kingz and the first Trill. Of course, any album with song titles that include “Swang On ‘Em” and “That’s Gangsta” is liable to lapse into generic gangsterisms. But give Bun credit for mostly managing to transcend those tropes. Of course, like most rap records, it’s overly long, to say nothing of “Just be Good to Me,” Bun’s horrible collabo with Mya, that to be kind is no “Movin’ On.” Still, on a trillness scale (eerily similar to the Pitchfork scale), I’d give it an 8.2.
Download:
MP3: Bun B ft. Lupe Fiasco-“Swang On ‘Em” (Removed due to extremely obnoxious label request)
MP3: Bun B ft. Pimp C & Chamillionaire-“Underground Thang” (Removed due to extremely obnoxious label request
