When his main label debut Already Platinum dropped in 2005, the silver-tongued slopped-up satan generally known as Slim Thug wasn’t actually a platinum artist, however he would possibly as effectively have been. Houston has all the time had a uniquely self-sufficient rap scene, a spot the place rappers realized to construct a secure profession whereas tuning out the fickleness of mainstream tendencies.
As a rapper on-the-rise within the late 90s, Slim was first affiliated with Swishahouse, the chopped-up collective spearheaded by DJs Michael “5000” Watts and OG Ron C. (Whereas DJ Screw and firm dominated Houston’s Southside, Swishahouse anointed themselves the “Kings of the North.”) Although Thug can be carefully linked all through his profession to Swishahouse members like Paul Wall and Mike Jones, he broke out on his personal after realizing he might make simply as a lot and perhaps extra on his personal phrases as an impartial artist. That sense of company allowed Thug to navigate the divided metropolis extra simply, and allowed him to look outdoors of Houston altogether, each by way of industrial potential and musical potentialities.
Take heed to Slim Thug’s Already Platinum now.
Whereas Thug’s clean circulate and deep register is quintessentially Houston, nearly as if his voice was naturally slowed down, his supply was way more simple than the screwed-up flows of Z-Ro or Fats Pat. He offered himself not not like 50 Cent or Pusha T, a melodic gangster with an ear for unexpectedly funky beats who might nonetheless throw down and speak smack with the perfect of them. It was that blend of pop sheen and avenue grit that doubtless attracted The Neptunes to Slim. Thug turned the manufacturing duo’s newest Clipse-like ardour mission amid their early-aughts rap radio dominance. Hailing from Virginia Seaside, Pharrell and Chad Hugo cut up the distinction between North and South, they usually navigated over the Mason-Dixon line with ease, working with N.O.R.E. and Busta Rhymes as effortlessly as Ludacris and T.I. Virtually simply as simply, they might go from mainstream pop collaborations with Britney Spears to the most recent up-and-coming rapper with out shedding any credibility. That made them excellent companions for somebody like Slim Thug, including a big-budget polish to his sound with out basically betraying it.
Thug already had a nationwide breakthrough as one-third of the triumvirate behind the stone-cold Houston traditional “Still Tippin’,” however Already Platinum seemed like nearly nothing else popping out of the town. It was constructed on a basis of the kind of thick however whimsical Neptunes beats that nearly power your physique to bang a rhythm out on the desk. These beats – and the Neptunes fame – was a double-edged sword: On-line leaks pressured Thug and his producing companions to scrap the tracklist and begin anew a number of occasions over. A number of of the album’s unique cuts, together with a model of “I Ain’t Heard Of That” that includes JAY-Z, would solely be formally launched in 2015 as a part of the Already Platinum Reloaded deluxe version.
Regardless of the leaks (or maybe due to them), Already Platinum was anticipated like few different main label debuts of its day. You possibly can nearly cut up the album evenly in two. One half is traditional Houston trunk music, with clean chopped-and-screwed beats courtesy of Swishahouse common Mr. Lee on “Diamonds” and “Boyz N Blue.” On “Three Kings,” Bun B and T.I. roll by to figuratively go the torch and anoint Thug as one of many subsequent pillars of the South. The opposite facet is booming pop-rap like solely The Neptunes might do, with blocky and drum-driven beats on tracks like “Click Clack” and “Like a Boss.” Thug’s molasses circulate is a pure match with funky Jazze Pha beats, however he demonstrates a selected expertise for limerick-like hooks that pair effectively with the Neptunes’ tightly-wound loops. Pharrell’s vocal look on “Already Platinum” makes for a novel tag workforce, Williams’ light voice enjoying foil to Thug’s slowed circulate.
Thug would flip again towards Houston on subsequent albums, re-embracing the town that made him with songs like the enduring posse reduce “Welcome 2 Houston.” However for a short second, the surprising pairing between skateboarder and slab-rider made for a one-of-a-kind file. Fortunately, Already Platinum wasn’t a sell-out or a swerve; because the title testifies, the success he was in quest of was inside him the entire time.
Take heed to Slim Thug’s Already Platinum now.
