DJ Shadow: URB, December 2003
Shadow: "In the ongoing annals of music history, 2003 will forever be documented as the year that the intense, bombastic spawn of the Dirty South known as Crunk broke nationwide. Not since the Bomb Squad's heyday have hip-hop beats carried so much density, attitude and sheer kinetic energy. The following singles (in no particular order) are all emblematic of these qualities, and represent the best of the year in Crunk" David Banner feat. Lil FlipLike A Pimp(SRC/Universal) Along with Lil' Jon, David Banner stood tallest this year delivering a solid album -- Mississippi, just rereleased in the uber-Crunk "screwed and chopped" format -- and making good on a musical legacy almost two decades in the making.
Check out his previous incarnation in the cut-out bins as Crooked Lettaz . (Penalty)Three 6 Mafia feat. Lil' FlipRidin' Spinners(Columbia/Sony)Lil' Flip sure knows how to put his thang down on other people's tracks. Here, his lazy Houston-bred style perfectly contrasts with the menace from Memphis, the clique known as the Triple Six.
Unavoidable listening this past summer Lil' Jon feat. Paster TroyThrow It Up(TVT) Lil' Jon is undoubtedly the King Of Crunk and so omni-present this year that choosing among his mass of output for the best representation is difficult. "I Don't Give a Fuck" and "Bia Bia" are old, so I'm going with "Throw It Up."BonecrusherNever Scared(So So Def) Difficult to find the original version on 12-inch, but the remix is more accessible. Like David Banner, Bonecrusher notched a few scars in the dues belt before blowing up, serving time as half of the LG'z on Tommy Boy a few years back.TrillvilleNeva Eva(BME/WB) Tough call between this and Lil' Scrappy's "Head Bussa," both produced and released by Lil' Jon on his BME Productions label. Found a life on mix CDs by DJ Jelly and others this year
Shadow: "In the ongoing annals of music history, 2003 will forever be documented as the year that the intense, bombastic spawn of the Dirty South known as Crunk broke nationwide. Not since the Bomb Squad's heyday have hip-hop beats carried so much density, attitude and sheer kinetic energy. The following singles (in no particular order) are all emblematic of these qualities, and represent the best of the year in Crunk" David Banner feat. Lil FlipLike A Pimp(SRC/Universal) Along with Lil' Jon, David Banner stood tallest this year delivering a solid album -- Mississippi, just rereleased in the uber-Crunk "screwed and chopped" format -- and making good on a musical legacy almost two decades in the making.
Check out his previous incarnation in the cut-out bins as Crooked Lettaz . (Penalty)Three 6 Mafia feat. Lil' FlipRidin' Spinners(Columbia/Sony)Lil' Flip sure knows how to put his thang down on other people's tracks. Here, his lazy Houston-bred style perfectly contrasts with the menace from Memphis, the clique known as the Triple Six.
Unavoidable listening this past summer Lil' Jon feat. Paster TroyThrow It Up(TVT) Lil' Jon is undoubtedly the King Of Crunk and so omni-present this year that choosing among his mass of output for the best representation is difficult. "I Don't Give a Fuck" and "Bia Bia" are old, so I'm going with "Throw It Up."BonecrusherNever Scared(So So Def) Difficult to find the original version on 12-inch, but the remix is more accessible. Like David Banner, Bonecrusher notched a few scars in the dues belt before blowing up, serving time as half of the LG'z on Tommy Boy a few years back.TrillvilleNeva Eva(BME/WB) Tough call between this and Lil' Scrappy's "Head Bussa," both produced and released by Lil' Jon on his BME Productions label. Found a life on mix CDs by DJ Jelly and others this year