Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz - Crunk Juice [Chopped and Screwed]

Genre hip hop Publisher TVT Records External Links Official Website TVT Records

Revamped by underground mixmaster Michael "5000" Watts, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz' lionized 2004 release Crunk Juice has been chopped and screwed, royally. "Screw music" is the slowed-down, psychedelic sound originated by Austin's DJ Screw, the late master of viscous cut retooling. Essentially this mix technique is designed to enhance the hallucinatory experience of "syrup sippin'," the practice of imbibing a combination of codeine-laced cough medicine mixed with alcohol. This album is absolutely dripping with yak, skeet and celebrity assistance - check the roster including R. Kelly, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Chris Rock, Usher, Lil Scrappy, and on, and on, and on. This keeps things listenable for long periods; the sound is simply broken up by the various styles the guest artists bring to the front, such as the sweet, soulful, perfumey R&B of Oobie in "One Night Stand." Otherwise the crunk would simply go on too long.

With the exception of frequent and annoying references to the Swisha House, lyrically this is a witty product: "Lovers and Friends," with the aid of Usher and Ludacris, delivers believable tenderness and as a hilarious bonus in the lyrics including the line "you all grown up like Rudy Huxtable." Later, Chris Rock does a very funny intro to "In da Club": "...we get our car washed in the club, we go to the cleaners in the club, we never leave the mother-fucking club!"

Certain songs in this eminent album lend themselves very well to being screwed, and "Stop F***in Wit Me" is a prime example. Anger relays with a more serious, frightening effect on this track. It stands out with an amazing stop/start sort of audible strobe light effect that I'm clearly having trouble describing. The most developed story line of all songs on the album, it's really a mini-tragedy. Our unassuming hero discovers he is attractive to his girls' friend, his girl gives him a bunch of shit about it. Before he does something he regrets he decides to leave the house, so he takes off in his car and fires up a blunt, and the police pull him over. He's got three or four bricks in the trunk, so he's hoping the cop doesn't go in there...poor dude, all this trouble just because he's hot.

The chopped and screwed version of Crunk Juice possesses impressive intelligence in writing and production, and despite venting some heavy frustration, never loses it's sense of humor. It's a little long, however, though distinctive contributions from a power-packed roll call move things creepily along. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed this screw.