Pros: Good production, Pimp C's animated vocals, flashes of potential from Bun B.
Cons: Some weaker tracks, Bun B isn't always exciting on the mic.
The Bottom Line: Too Hard to Swallow is one of the most important albums that the South has to offer. A must buy for those who want to hear how UGK's career began.
yinyang205's Full Review: Too Hard to Swallow by Underground Kingz
Quick, name a Southern act that was around in 1992!
Can't? That's understandable; despite the work of groups like the Geto Boys, the South was barely a blip on the hip-hop radar back in '92. Meanwhile, the G-Funk era was set to begin out West and the East had already been born and had dominated the genre's landscape in its early stages. The South hadn't even had its seeds fully sown yet. Enter UGK. Consisting of Chad Butler and Bernard Freeman (aka Pimp C and Bun B), the long-time friends from Port Arthur, Texas signed a 5 album contract with Jive Records in 1992 (remember when they used to be an important record label?) and would use their debut album as a stepping stone towards their eventual rise to fame in the underground. However, the most important question is, "Is the album any good?"
Track Listing and Ratings:
Something Good Extended Version (4 Stars)
Use Me Up (4 1/2 Stars)
Pocket Full of Stones (5 Stars)
Short Texas (3 Stars)
Cocaine in the Back of the Ride (4 Stars)
Cramping My Style Ft. Infinity (4 Stars)
Feel Like I'm the One Who’s Doin Dope (5 Stars)
I'm So Bad (4 Stars)
Trill A*s N*gga (3 1/2 Stars)
976-Bun-B (4 Stars)
Something Good Remix (4 Stars)
One thing becomes clear after listening to this album: Pimp C was miles ahead of Bun B at the time this album was released (though the latter would overtake Pimp by the time the two dropped their 1996 effort, Ridin' Dirty). His confident, blunt delivery made him a force to be reckoned with on the mic, and his voice inflections and accent made even the most mundane of topics sound entertaining; he could've literally made 12 songs about dishwashing detergent and I'd have given this album a solid 3.5 stars at least. Want to know where T.I. got his style from? Look no further than Pimp C, and check out the lyrics for "Cocaine in the Back of the Ride":
"Pimp C b*tch! So what the f*ck is up?
Step wrong n*gga and I'll take ya f*ckin nuts!
Got mo' dope than a pharmacy ho
Got a job for the city b*tch I'm shovelin snow
South Texas mother*cker that's where I stay
Gettin p*ssy from these b*tches every god d*mn day
Kick it with a trill n*gga so you best not trip
Bought the Caddy crossed the pier and kicked to Ganksta Nip
Southern weight, get it straight, f*ck them 20's and 10's!...."
Reading the lyrics here don't do it justice, however; listening to is essential, as his animated verse makes his own shoddy production work forgivable here. It's like this for much of the entire disc, with Pimp C's verses serving as the highlights, making Bun B's contributions pale in comparison. This isn't to say that the latter emcee is just along for the ride, though; in various spots on the album, the listener gets a glimpse of the brash and lyrically-advanced emcee Bun would later become. Take the already-mentioned "Cocaine in the Back of the Ride," for instance, as he takes a page from his partner's book and injects enthusiasm into his rhymes:
"Dope games keep ya SICK, just like a disease
Movin ki's makin G's, h*es drop to they knees
Little kids on the corner, steady grabbin they nuts
sayin, "I wish I was Bun when I grow the f*ck up"
Baby blue Riviera, Dayton and laced rims
Khaki pants, black sweater with the U.G.K. brim
Black gat fully loaded n*gga come with respect
Step up the wrong way I'll break yo' god d*mn neck!
Big d*ck in my drawers, the n*ggaz from down South
Down to put a twelve gauge in yo' god d*mn mouth!..."
"Cocaine" aside, Too Hard to Swallow is filled with its share of good material. The first standout is "Use Me Up," which essentially jacks the beat from Bill Withers' "Use Me" wholesale, save some drum kicks and a tight bassline. Topically, Pimp C goes solo and raps about a woman that he can't stay away from, despite protests from his friends. The song works not only because of the smooth interpolation, but also because of Pimp's lyrics about the subject. Another standout track follows this one in "Pocket Full of Stones," as the duo trades verses and details their rise to power as drug dealers, their fall by ending up in jail for it, as well as their defiant close when they fall back into the lifestyle. Despite their non-apologetic tone throughout, the track stands out not only because of the group's storytelling ability, but also because it shows the downside to the drug life. Maybe guys like Young Jeezy should listen to this song all the way through before cutting another album. Moving past "Cocaine," we get to "Cramping My Style," which boasts another old school interpolation—this time The Isley Brothers" "Between the Sheets." Here, Bun-B and femcee Infinity go back and forth, with the former insisting that he be given space in the relationship while Inifinity tries (unsuccessfully) to convince him to settle down. While not the most innovative subject ever, it still makes for an entertaining listen. However, it seems average in comparison to the album"s best track, "Feel Like I'm the One Who's Doin Dope." Again, Pimp C flies solo, but this time gets creative as he assumes the role of a paranoid drug dealer, delivering a twist at the end of each of his verses that's eerily reminiscent of the Geto Boys' "My Mind's Playin Tricks on Me." Over brooding and slow production, Pimp is able to lay out his story thoroughly, laying out another downside to the drug life. It represents the album's most creative moment as well as the best executed track of UGK's debut.
While the album as a whole makes for an entertaining listen, it has its share of problems. The most significant of these is the lack of standout material; there are plenty of good tracks throughout the disc's duration, but with the exception of three songs ("Use Me Up", "Pocket Full of Stones", and "Feel Like I'm the One Who's Doin Dope"), there aren't a lot of tracks that'd make you hit the rewind button. They make for good listening, but they probably won't make a top 100 greatest songs list. This is partly due to the fact that the album rarely deviates from the tried and true subjects of drugs, sex, and women. Not that I necessarily have a problem with tracks about these issues per se, but an album's worth of the same three subjects can make "Too Hard to Swallow" live up to its name for some listeners. Beyond this, there are some songs that just don't work. "Short Texas" pales in comparison to the track that precedes it, as the duo has to slow down their flows to match Pimp C's slow and plodding production. Lyrically, the song fails, too, as the two sound lethargic (perhaps because of the beat), with Pimp C not giving the listener his trademark inflections until it's too late. And really, did this song really need to go on for 6+ minutes? The other misstep comes with "Trill A*s N*gga," and while Pimp C's minimalist production does its job, the track just doesn't carry itself as well as it should, especially since Pimp doesn't join his Texas counterpart on the mic. Bun's lyrics are solid, but his voice lacks the command that he would gain on later efforts. As a result, the track isn't as good as it should be (or would be, if the Bun-B of a few years later had rapped on this same track).
All in all, "Too Hard to Swallow" marks the first step of a long journey for the group from Port Arthur, Texas. With Pimp C pulling double duty on both sides of the boards, he showcases his skill as both a producer and emcee, while Bun B shows flashes of the emcee he would come to be in the future. While many in the South regard this debut as a classic effort, I find that it is far too flawed to be given such a distinction. However, it does stand as one of the most important Southern albums in the region's young history, and it definitely deserves props for that.
Final Rating: 3.75 Stars
Standout Tracks: Feel Like I'm the One Who's Doin' Dope, Use Me Up, Pocket Full of Stones
The next edition in this series will (hopefully) be up next week.
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