събота, 30 май 2009 г.

YUKMOUTH


YUKMOUTH


Growing up in Oakland, California you’ve got to be able to kick good conversation. The City of Dope is the home of pimps, ballers and plenty of flossy activity. So in order to make it, your spit game has to be up to par.

And no one’s spit game is as sharp as Yukmouth’s. As one-half of the platinum rap duo the Luniz, Yukmouth delivered hip-hop’s most acclaimed weed anthem, “I Got 5 On It.” With his solo career, which started off in 1998 with the Gold double album Thugged Out (The Albulation), Yukmouth has been the game’s most consistent reality rapper, churning out thoughtful gangster parables that contain a marvelous mix of wit, humor, insight and rage.

Yukmouth’s winning streak continues with his fourth solo album, the magnificent double disc Million Dollar Mouthpiece. True to his Oakland roots, Yukmouth fills the explosive collection with his signature brand of lyricism. “I spit game, man,” the gravely-voiced rapper says. “I’m giving the radio and the ladies something to deal with. I’m covering all angles, but at the same time I’m keeping it more gangsta and more street. I’ve got a Million Dollar Mouthpiece and I’m selling millions of albums. It’s a mouthpiece worth millions.”

Indeed, Yukmouth’s mouthpiece is so refined, so precise and so prolific that his lyrical game overflows, resulting in Million Dollar Mouthpiece being a double album. He had so much that he wanted to share that he couldn’t fit it on one album. “I think I owe it to my fans,” reasons Yuk, whose last album, Godzilla, came out in 2003. “I took a year off, so I’m just going to give them that album I left off in that year in this album. I owe the fans that.”

Hip-hop fans everywhere will be more than satisfied with the results. On the innovative “Boss Ballin’,” Yuk teams with Houston star Lil’ Flip to rap about living the glamorous life over a basketball-inspired beat from Dame Grease (Nas, DMX). “It’s ridiculous and it hasn’t been done before,” Yukmouth beams of the lively cut. “The beat is all dribbles, shots, the sound of people running across the basketball court, the dunks, the swishes. It’s got a lot of sound effects. The beat is complex and we’re rapping about ballin’ and stuntin’. The combination is off the ricther.”

The same can be said for “Pimpology,” which teams Yuk with Suga Free and Too $hort. Over a mackadocious beat from Sir Jinx (Ice Cube, Xzibit), the trio lays their pimp hand down. “That’s going to be the pimp anthem of the year,” Yukmouth says. “It’s stupid. We’re spitting a lot of game about the pimping. They’re going to play this at the Player’s Ball all day.”

Elsewhere, Yukmouth shows his diversity by going back to the streets with C-Bo and Jacka on the gangstafied “Payback.” Regardless of topic, Yukmouth keeps his lyrics sharp and his flow captivating. Most importantly, he remains true to the streets.

“Godzilla was more of an all-around touching-everything type of album,” Yukmouth explains. “My United Ghettos series is more of a compilation. Million Dollar Mouthpiece is more taking it back to the streets, like The Albulation. I’m taking it back to the essence of what people want.”

More than a decade after making his national debut with Dru Down, Yukmouth has established himself as a hip-hop trendsetter. With the Luniz, he helped bring to the forefront the funny side of gangster rap. On his solo material, Yukmouth lets his hard-core side shine, even as more and more rappers water down their material in search of success. Yukmouth has never had to do that in order to shine.

“I brought the thugging to the table,” he says. “A lot of rappers were gangsters, gangbangers. Pac died and it kind of fell off, but I kept the thugging going down.”

Yukmouth’s thuggery extends to his other business ventures. He owns Smoke-A-Lot Records, whose roster includes the supergroup The Regime, as well as solo acts Yung Skrilla, Mark Shyst and Young Dru. Yukmouth has also cornered the DVD and compilation market with his best-selling United Ghettos Of America series. The third edition of the DVD will be in stores soon, as will his United Ghettos Eye Candy project, which will showcase the finest women from around the country.

But most importantly, Yukmouth keeps his game flowing on Million Dollar Mouthpiece, his finest album. By keeping it street, Yukmouth has delivered the album of his career.

“I’m taking it back to the essence of thugging, the storytelling and the stuff that touches people in the heart,” he explains. “There’s going to be a lot of that. Get ready for a real ride with the gangster. This is the one they’ve been waiting for.”

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