Bun B has been a legend in the game for years but, it was his work with Pimp C that made him an underground king. Together, the two have put together a complete catalog of quality material, rivaled only to that of Outkast (when it comes to groups in the south);
but following Pimp C's death late last year, many questioned how Bun would respond in the wake of tragedy. Seemingly, Bun fared well while Pimp C was incarcerated on his solo debut album Trill and, as expected, with II Trill, things pick up exactly where they left off.
Before I even get started with this review, however, let me be the first to say that I'm not much of a fan of Bun B, nor UGK for that matter. For what it's worth, it's not so much the fact that I have a dislike for either of them but simply because their music just never appealed to me. I'll admit, songs like "International Player's Anthem" was something I could get with but only because Andre 3000 owned that song and delivered a true gem. I didn't care for anybody else's verse after that but just in really listening to these guys, I realized that maybe I was wrong about them. Their "Keep it 100" style is something I can respect so, from that standpoint, my interest was only peaked when I first heard that a sequel to Trill was in the works. Slightly hesitant and apprehensive, seeing that I only marginally enjoyed the first Trill, I opted to give II Trill a try and in the end, I'm kind of glad I did. Bun B really stepped his game up and I commend him because, while other rappers were out here focused solely on selling ringtones, Bun B was on his grind and delivers an album of material that that will only cement his legacy.
Let's be clear. Regardless of how I rate this album, a true measure can not be taken because I'm only reviewing this album as a casual fan. That being said, II Trill is a really well-made album and it speaks on a lot of issues that's going on right here in our backyard. It's easy to pull a blind over what's really going on out here and ignore it as if it never existed, but where's the resolve in that? Bun B, however, sees things as they are and keeps it all the way real while addressing a lot of social and political issues. Songs like "You're Everything" featuring Rick Ross, David Banner, 8Ball and MJG focuses on the undeserved, negative aspects that people focus on when it comes to southern hip-hop and the production by Mr. Lee is what really sells this track. Featuring a sample from Jodeci, this is one of the true standouts on the album and is also a true testament of southern hospitality when you think about how well the south is represented on this track.
Switching gears, Bun B does his thing throughout this 18-track testament but by far, the two standout cuts are the Lil' Wayne assisted "Damn I'm Cold" and the Lupe featured "Swang On 'Em". Both tracks take this album up a notch, so much so, that words just aren't enough. Wayne is in full beast mode and delivers a worthy guest feature but it's Lupe who steals the show. A Bun B/Lupe Fiasco collaboration is unexpected, by some standards, but the two really work well together. As for the rest of the album, I didn't care for a lot of the songs so I found myself hitting skip a lot but that doesn't mean that this is a bad album. Like I said, Bun B just isn't my cup of tea. I respect the man with the utmost of sincerity behind that and I'm proud to see a legend like himself, step to the forefront and address a lot of political and social unrest; but, in the end, my job is to review the content of II Trill as a whole and, unfortunately, it's just not something that I'm feeling.
but following Pimp C's death late last year, many questioned how Bun would respond in the wake of tragedy. Seemingly, Bun fared well while Pimp C was incarcerated on his solo debut album Trill and, as expected, with II Trill, things pick up exactly where they left off.Before I even get started with this review, however, let me be the first to say that I'm not much of a fan of Bun B, nor UGK for that matter. For what it's worth, it's not so much the fact that I have a dislike for either of them but simply because their music just never appealed to me. I'll admit, songs like "International Player's Anthem" was something I could get with but only because Andre 3000 owned that song and delivered a true gem. I didn't care for anybody else's verse after that but just in really listening to these guys, I realized that maybe I was wrong about them. Their "Keep it 100" style is something I can respect so, from that standpoint, my interest was only peaked when I first heard that a sequel to Trill was in the works. Slightly hesitant and apprehensive, seeing that I only marginally enjoyed the first Trill, I opted to give II Trill a try and in the end, I'm kind of glad I did. Bun B really stepped his game up and I commend him because, while other rappers were out here focused solely on selling ringtones, Bun B was on his grind and delivers an album of material that that will only cement his legacy.
Let's be clear. Regardless of how I rate this album, a true measure can not be taken because I'm only reviewing this album as a casual fan. That being said, II Trill is a really well-made album and it speaks on a lot of issues that's going on right here in our backyard. It's easy to pull a blind over what's really going on out here and ignore it as if it never existed, but where's the resolve in that? Bun B, however, sees things as they are and keeps it all the way real while addressing a lot of social and political issues. Songs like "You're Everything" featuring Rick Ross, David Banner, 8Ball and MJG focuses on the undeserved, negative aspects that people focus on when it comes to southern hip-hop and the production by Mr. Lee is what really sells this track. Featuring a sample from Jodeci, this is one of the true standouts on the album and is also a true testament of southern hospitality when you think about how well the south is represented on this track.
Switching gears, Bun B does his thing throughout this 18-track testament but by far, the two standout cuts are the Lil' Wayne assisted "Damn I'm Cold" and the Lupe featured "Swang On 'Em". Both tracks take this album up a notch, so much so, that words just aren't enough. Wayne is in full beast mode and delivers a worthy guest feature but it's Lupe who steals the show. A Bun B/Lupe Fiasco collaboration is unexpected, by some standards, but the two really work well together. As for the rest of the album, I didn't care for a lot of the songs so I found myself hitting skip a lot but that doesn't mean that this is a bad album. Like I said, Bun B just isn't my cup of tea. I respect the man with the utmost of sincerity behind that and I'm proud to see a legend like himself, step to the forefront and address a lot of political and social unrest; but, in the end, my job is to review the content of II Trill as a whole and, unfortunately, it's just not something that I'm feeling.
Rating: 6.5 headphones out of 10
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