Juicy J

Stay Trippy

BY Peter MarrackPublished Aug 26, 2013

6
Teens twerk to it; strippers work to it; hustlers vibe with it; and gangsters laugh at it. For all its vulgarity, predictability, repetitiveness and reckless musings on drugs, Juicy J's trippy music succeeds because of its spirit. His new album (his first since trading 666 for Taylor Gang) bottles that infectious energy, that reckless intensity, that raw hustler's "kapow!" and delivers it in an accessible package. There's even a limited edition insert of Justin Timberlake photographed (candidly) while sleeping, for all you boy band fans out there. With appearances from Chris Brown ("Talking' Bout") and A$AP Rocky ("Scholarship"), Juicy drizzles enough syrup to satisfy the sweet tooth of high school girls and boys alike. Club bangers "Bounce It" and "Show Out," dialled to the trap frequencies of Dr. Luke and Mike WiLL Made It, cater to the strip pole, whereas standouts "Gun Plus A Mask" and "No Heart No Love" preserve the grimy street aesthetics Juicy's longevity relies upon. That said, for every hustler inspired by the lyrics, "Imma play it cool like everything fine, catch him coming home, lay him down with the nine," there's a hater living them.
(Columbia)

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