Album Review: Juicy J- Stay Trippy
I think it was during the first listen of the new Juicy J
album, Stay Trippy, when I thought to
myself, “Why do I even bother trying to listen to hip-hop records with the
intent of writing a reviewing them for this blog?”
I’m no expert at hip-hop. I don't claim to be. Rap music has always been around in my life. I grew up during the East Coast VS
West Coast feud that ended in the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious
B.I.G. The early-to-mid 90’s was an incredible time for hip-hop: Nas, Mobb
Deep, Wu Tang. It’s these records that I love, and for some reason, I want EVERY
rap album to sound like these. It’s unfair to compare new albums to such
revered classics, but I can’t help myself.
It’s with those comparisons that I almost always end up
being let down by new hip-hop records. I try to love them. I really do. And to
an extent I like them, but rarely is
there anything that I’m going return to later on.
So this brings us to Stay
Trippy. Juicy J is a member of the iconic Southern rap group Three Six
Mafia—you may remember them from when they won an Oscar aware for their original
song “It’s Hard Out There For A Pimp.” Which as we all know is a valid point.
It really is. Hard out there for a pimp.
Three Six Mafia is, for the most part, finished now. And
Juicy J’s goal at the moment is to achieve
mainstream success as a solo artist. He’s already well on his way, to an
extent—Stay Trippy’s first single,
released in 2012, “Bandz A Make Her Dance” went platinum. "Bandz" shows up towards the end of the album. It's an interesting song, at least from a production stand point. There's something really somber about the synthesizers used on it, but it's an anthem about strippers "clapping without using their hands."
Putting a cinematic in scope twist on Southern Trap style
music, musically Stay Trippy
juxtaposes a rather simple snare hits and hi-hats with huge sounding synths—J
has come a long way from the crude sounding, low-budget beats from his Three
Six days.
It’s also worth noting that one of the most melodic,
musically interesting songs on the album, “Talkin’ Bout,” features a guest spot
from Chris Brown—so when I was kind of feelin’ it the other day, I instantly felt
guilty after I realized that.
There are many ideas running throughout Stay Trippy. I wouldn’t say it’s a concept album—it’s way too
lowbrow for that. But here is a shortlist of the recurring themes:
Twerking
Lean
College Chicks
Bandz
Bandz; and how they will make her dance
Strippers
Slobbing on Nobs
Weed
Models
Models; and how you need to fuck them
Molly
Money
Money; and how you have so much it requires three hands to
count it all
Getting Turnt
Haters
Packin’ Heat
Like I’m not even kidding—at least one of those things, if
not all of them, are mentioned in every song.
Needless to say, there’s no real positive message behind Stay Trippy. And really, there’s no
depth to this album. It’s a self-aggrandizing record about being rich, a taste
for codeine and Sprite, the ability to count all of your money, a love of
strippers, and a penchant for having said strippers “slob on your nob.” (Their
words, not mine.)
Similarly to the Trap beats on A$AP Ferg’s debut LP, Trap Lord, at its finest moments, Stay Trippy is catchy. Every song is
built around repetitive rhythms and easy to remember refrains. It’s a record
for having a good time, but if you are incapable of enjoying yourself (like myself), then it
may be the kind of album you are unable to identify with at all.
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