Review Summary: I'm bending corners in my Cadillac, pistol under my seat with a sack full of crack getting heaaaddd on the roooaaaddd!!!
The early 2000s were pretty wild when it came to hip-hop. It was the era of money, jewelry, cars and don’t forget the hoes! Nelly was topping most charts around this time along with Three 6 Mafia, Ludacris, Fabolous, 50 Cent and some others. All telling stories of living the high life and warning you that they’ll pop your ass if you get in their way. Sadly a lot of artists that had a lot of talent got brushed to the side during this time and Dirty is one of those acts. A two-man group from Birmingham, Alabama consisting of maternal cousins Big Pimp and Mr. G Stacka, they had some time in the mainstream with hit singles Rollin’ Vogues and Hit Da Floe, but they never reached the heights that they should have.
The Pimp & Da Gangsta is the group’s second album, but it's the first one that had any mainstream appeal. The two MCs feed off of each other so well and their impeccable storytelling is what makes this album the classic that it is. Big Pimp’s flow is lower pitched and rapidly paced, sounding almost like a Southern hood version of Twista while Mr. G Stacka’s is more high pitched and animated almost like Danny Brown a decade before Danny Brown came along.
The aforementioned Rollin Vogues sets the tone for the whole album with Big Pimp and Mr G. Stacka trading verses about flexing their money and Cadillacs around the hood with all their sluts. Other tracks like 6 Deep Creepin’ (my personal favorite) tells a tale about the boys and their crew going on a home invasion to steal a whooole lot of dope from a rival gang, being caught by an old lady and then tying that old lady up so she can’t call the police. The beat is deeply sinister and makes you feel as if you’re going on the mission with the guys and their gang. The title track is an almost 7 minute long behemoth of masterful ghetto storytelling and Southern pride. The biggest hit here, Hit Da Floe, is a comical track detailing a true story about Big Pimp’s Cadillac being stolen and him ultimately reacquiring the Cadillac by force from the person that jacked it from him. That really gives you an idea of the variation and different things going on here.
The production here is also absolutely stunning. They beats are heavy and dark at times but also flashable, dancy and almost sexual at other points. Candy Man is one of the best dirty rap songs ever made. The beat is slow and sensual and almost R&B in nature. There’s a lot of variety which fits the boys’ style because of their knack of storytelling and the different images they can create at any given time.
The Pimp & Da Gangsta is a timeless classic that paints a picture in the listener’s head better than most hip-hop albums that I’ve heard. I’ve been listening to this genre for over 2 decades and few albums have hit me just as hard as this one. The chemistry of the cousins is evident and it pays off in more ways than they probably ever imagined.
The Pimp & Da Gangsta is not only a Southern classic, it's one of the best hip-hop albums ever made. Period. Don't do yourself a disservice, roll the windows down in your car and blast this out of your speakers.
