As much as we’re occasional, generally admiring readers of Byron Crawford’s blog, he’s way out on his review of this album. Way the fuck out. It’s perfectly acceptable to not know too much about what you’re reviewing – that way some comedy gold oft lies – but you might as well get Joey Deacon to precis Shakespeare for all the knowledge in his review of this LP. And while his opinion is his opinion, and long may he flex it, to not know some of the stuff he doesn’t know about that album undermines a lot of his authority. The comedy points are undermined fatally by just how wrong he is about most of what’s going on. It’s not even provocative – just a little lunky. That said, he’s spot on about how gay lead single ‘I Run’ with its Flock of Seagulls sample is. But modern hip-hop singles are like modern hip-hop magazine covers. It might be flossy up front, but read on and there’ll be some flavour for the non-believers. Thus it is with ‘Boss of All Bosses’. Thugga might not be the most dexterous flower, although he’s stepped his game up this year, but hearing him say ‘Boss’ repeatedly is one of life’s rich pleasures. He does that a lot here.

An even richer pleasure is the Rap-A-Lot past-and-present legend gangbang going on throughout this album. Scarface drops some G-Code on the dope ‘Hard’, and there’s also room for Devin, Trae, Z-Ro and UGK on other cuts. Standout-wise, Mannie Fresh does his trademark thing on ‘Show Me Love’, but Mr Lee handles most of the major heatrocks here. ‘Leanin’ is anthemic car music from the off, lifted up by UGK. Yup, both of them. Don’t ask how. Just as good is ‘Associates’, Z-Ro handling the hook (no, BOL, it’s not Trick Trick), although we’re not sure ‘Associates’ is a good rhyme with ‘Holster, Bitch’. And a big 9 minutes Houston posse cut – with many of the aforementioned plus Paul Wall, Lil’ Keke, Mike Jones, Chamillionaire and others – tops things off lovely. No-one expects modern hip-hop albums to be good from end to end -and this isn’t – but it’s as near as it gets. And for the haters who want us to be talking about the same records we were writing about in issue 2 of Fat Lace, don’t worry, there’ll be a crushingly disappointing album from Pete Rock or Large Pro along in a minute…

Slim Thug feat. Bun B and Pimp C – Leanin’

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Slim Thug feat. Z-Ro and J Dawg

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