Slim Thug

An established mega-star throughout the South, self-made Houston rapper Slim Thug hits us off with his heavily-hyped major label debut. Overseen by the Neptunes, the aptly-titled Already Platinum shines like a princess cut diamond grill, with grimy H-Town rhymes and super-sleek beats. "Click Clack" (with Pusha T) and "Everybody Loves a Pimp" are highlights.

The major-label debut from this self-proclaimed Boss of the South is a popwise
bastardization of the Houston rap scene's round-the-way charm: Over perfectly ugly
Neptunes beats, Slim Thug drops brawny boasts and mesmerizing refrains, arranged with
surgical precision. The push-and-pull between the Neptunes' arty minimalism -- this could
be the album that yanks them out of their recent doldrums -- and Slim Thug's do... More >

Screwed-and-chopped-esque rather than actually screwed-and-chopped, but representing the Black Sabbath tendency in rock-based musics nonetheless: Slim:Ozzy::screwed-and-chopped:grindcore. Jesus, does that mean screwed-and-chopped will last forever too? Scary. (Grade - C)