Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Lost & Sound: UGK-Trill Azz Mixez (1999-00?)



[UPDATE: I was finished with this post and about to hit publish. Right before I hit the button, I texted Bun B to ask him a quick question. The quick question turned into brief phone conversation revealing even more history about this CD. I kept my post the same, but added his input. His new added quotes are in the block quotes.]

On the previous Lost & Sound I mentioned that I found this week's feature at the same time I found it, well here it is, UGK's Trill Azz Mixez a must have and heard for any and every UGK fan.



I can't remember if I copped this in 1999 or 2000, but I remember exactly where...the student center at my alma mater Fort Valley State University. Yep, while other schools had credit card companies in the student center signing up kids for new debt, FVSU had the bootleg CD man posted up with at least four tables worth of photocopied album covers and slim CD cases. I was always weary about copping stuff from the bootleg man, because shit, the CDs were bootleg. They were liable to play in one CD player and not the next. Or, they'd play in your CD player for about two weeks and just stop working. It's like they had an expiration date or something.

Plus, 99-00 was a time when albums first started leaking to the internet and at the time my college radio station partner-in-crime Shawty Slim was a wizard on the computer so I'd have most if not all of what the bootleg man was selling, weeks prior. But, one day when I was going through the student center to pick up some lunch, I decided to go see what he had on the table. MAN! When I saw the UGK crest logo it seemed like it was glowing and everything else got blurry. I remembered reading a couple things about TAM on a old UGK Geocities site called Country Rap Tunes, that I used to check religiously!

But, reading about it and actually expecting to find it was two different things. I have to remind you, this was damn near 10 years ago when you had to do more than just dream of something leaking to the internet, google it the next day and waah-laah, its there. Hell, the only reason I came up on the Dirty Money bootleg in '99 was because my college roommate at the time went to Texas for the summer and cameback with it somehow. I just thought TAM was gonna be some CD that wouldn't make it past Alabama. But, here it was staring me in the face. I immediately copped it for $5...photocopied cover and all.

Now, I know most artists out there frown upon people buying their product from the bootlegger. But, seeing as how UGK are the Underground Kingz, I think they damn near wanted folks to buy their shit from the bootlegger, unless it was one of their retail projects. Plus, like I said, this was at the height of the "where's Dirty Money?" days so I had to get this joint. Hell, for some years, the only way to get new UGK music was through an illegal means. Plus, I was wearing out my Dirty Money bootleg to the point that the film on the CD started chipping.

Bun B: Trill Azz Mixez was originally conceived by DJ Wiz in Nashville. He begged us to do it. This was back when mixtapes were actually "mixtapes" and was only available in mom and pop stores. Wiz used to do a lot of Cash Money and No Limit mixtapes and he always wanted to do one with us. We'd always just be like "yeah, aight, whatever." But, when we started having all of the label trouble we said we should do a mixtape and go ahead and put it out with Wiz. After it came out everywhere we went, people wanted it. We'd never have enough copies of it. To this day we still don't. We'd always talk about bringing it back and re-releasing it. We actually did shows in the Midwest and the majority of the show would be based off the mixtape. It created income and we sold them at shows. Big up to DJ Wiz, he was an undying supporter of UGK. He hepled us understand the scope of our spread. Doing that tape with him is the reason why we put the UGK logo big as hell on all of our CDs now.


But yeah, I'm doing all of this talking and haven't spoken on the actual CD. Well, Trill Azz Mixez is a blend tape of classic UGK songs and lyrics over other beats, a great example of Southern Hip Hop. Example:

"Back, Front, Back, Side to Side" x "P.W.A."



I wish I could have edited these two together for ya'll, because they way they blend into each other on the CD is flawless.

"I Left It Wet" x Too Short's "Freaky Tales"


Another thing I dug about this CD was that it had the best of two extremes. One minute it was mixing UGK lyrics over Bone instrumentals:

"Tell Me Something Good" x Bone & 2Pac's "Thug Luv"


Then it had blends that were more homegrown:

"Murder" x Lil Keke's "Southside"



Again, you have listen to the CD in its entirety to appreciate how the songs blend into one another:

"Break 'Em Off Something" x "Southside"


I would upload the flawless blend that is "2 Real" x "Diamonds & Wood" but I want to leave something left for you to experience when you download the CD.

Easily and obviously the highlight and standout of the CD is "Top Notch Hoes." Its the only song on the CD that isn't blended, its a standalone track. When TAM came out, the only other CD I ever heard this song on was my Dirty Money bootleg that I scored a year or so prior. Again it was the standout on there too because it was on the only song that sounded of decent quality and actually finished.

Question, am I the only one who thought Pimp was dissing The Roots on this song when he said "What They Do, What They Do, nigga was corny is fuck/You get no play that Texas, you're shit don't bump in the trunk." Its obvious that he was dissing BET and their East Coast biases, but I always wondered/overthought about that line in particular.

"Top Notch Hoes"


Bun B: Everybody wanted "Top Notch Hoes." We got shows off that song. That’s a hardcore UGK song. You came up to us tell us that was your shit? We knew you've been rocking with UGK for real. I'm not sure what or who's album that was for. It might have been for Kool Ace. I think "Top Notch Hoes" was supposed to be another Kool Ace song. Kool Ace was a big friend to UGK. When we recorded it we considered holding on to it and putting it on Dirty Money but we said fuck it because we didn't think Dirty Money was ever coming out.

Yeah, Pimp was talking about The Roots on his verse. Bygones are bygones now, but yeah, he was talking about them. He thought they were shooting at Too $hort in the video. And you know how close they were. Pimp was always taking up other people's battles. He never really had any proof that they were dissing him in the video, so when he says that line "I saw your video nigga sound like you dissing my friends" I'd be like exactly! That's what it "sounds" like, you don't really know. But Pimp actually liked what The Roots was doing, he always talked about having a live band on stage with him. They probably never knew Pimp was dissing them or ever did, I guess they do now. The only reason he said that was because he thought they were dissing $hort. Pimp just like to say things to get under people's skin, including mines.


Once again, the post is getting lengthy so I'll wrap it up now. If you are a UGK fan or even if you're just now getting introduced to them YOU NEED to have Trill Azz Mixez in your possession, this is classic and a gem. Up until 15 minutes ago, I never even knew who mixed this joint down, but Bun just informed me that it was DJ Wiz from Nashville, so shout out to him. Great work. Hope ya'll enjoy.

DOWNLOAD: UGK & DJ WIZ: TRILL AZZ MIXEZ

10 comments:

Burn One said...

dope read. top notch hoes is the epitomy of country rap tunes.

Matthew said...

Thanks for a great post. I didn't even know T.A.M. existed.

Davey Boy Smith said...

This is a classic blog post about a classic album. I'm sure I'll enjoy it even more now with this new insight! Excellent work Maurice!

Andrew Barber said...

I copped this mixtape from a place called Barry's music in Indianapolis in the fall of '98 or the winter of '99 (my senior year of high school)

It was so non-descript with NO Dj name, or picture on the cover - just he UGK logo and the big azz 'Trill Azz Mixes'. I just remember it looking really cheap and bootleggish - just like the Makaveli bootlegs of the same time (Man, this memories really make me miss those days). I remember this CD and a mixtape entitled 'There's No Limit Vol. 1' (mixed by DJ LJ) that was popping around this same time...It featured "Weed & Hennessy", which was akin to the unreleased "Top Notch Hoes" on TAM. Anyone know where "Weed & Hennessy" came from?

Also, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't there a Trill Azz Mixes Pt. 2? I remember it NOT living up to this first one. It was one of, if not the biggest mixtape in the midwest at the time. Hell, I didn't even know who the DJ was who mixed it it was so damn underground! And back then you couldn't even google who the DJ was or search for their myspace. That really, really added to the allure!

Man I miss those days!

Also, I believe "Top Notch Hoes" was a two part song that was blended together - it's actually two songs. When it switches into "Deep in the Game" that's actually a song that Pimp did with West Coast emcee Meen Green. At least I think so.

Anonymous said...

Classic Post. 99 & 2000 lol i remember colleges use to bootleg the hell out of this from Louisiana,Texas,Mississippi hell the whole South.

The copy i had was a white label that chipped when it got old lol @ the bootleg days back then

Earl said...

man i gotta comment on dis as well... man dis was my sophomore year of hs i brought it off of 1 of dis dude dat used to sell bootleg cds durin lunch... and i remember him coming up to me and was like yooo son, i got this ugk u might love fam. so i looked at him like ok if its a reg ugk cd ima whoop u. so he handed me the cd and it had the COVER and it say ugk trill azz mixes on the cd so i was like i gotta get this...

dis was the same very day i copped camoflauge cd as well... R.I.P. CAMO

i still dnt kno alot about camoflauge but i do kno i was playin that mf CUTT FRIENDS song like shit... LMAO

man those were the days!!!

yo mo gar u jus posted a classic post u jus dont kno and thanks for schoolin us more about the cd!!!

Cash said...

this DJ Wiz from Nashville the same as DJ C-Wiz from Nashville? He was Three 6 Mafia's DJ for a while too and did some blend mixtapes for them & Project Pat...

he talks about working w/Pimp C but doesn't mention anything about TAM...???

http://www.myspace.com/djcwiz

jcmoss33 said...

Maurice, you are doing your thing on this blogsite, bruh. Peace!!!!

katty said...

I really like the photographer´s work, i think is very exciting and entertainment most of all because they usually know too much people and know how to do their better job with every person.
I liked this blog, is very interesting and wonderful.It catched my attention since the first time that i saw it.I feel happy when i reache what i am looking for,like when i buy viagra the result is really great.

penis enlargement pills said...

Erectile Dysfunction FAQ's

Impotence, or penile erectile dysfunction, in men is not as rare as one would think it is.
In fact, one out of ten men around the world is affected by this condition. It is not exclusive to old men either. Impotence is caused not just by physical factors,
but mental factors as well.
Exercising on a regular basis and eating healthy food will increase your ability to sustain prolonged physical effort and we all know that sex is effort.
Smoking, frequently drinking large quantities of alcohol, taking recreational drugs and lack of exercising will sap your stamina and also slow down the flow of blood.
Penis exercises can be used for maintaining fitness, preventing or controlling premature ejaculation and increasing the length and girth of the penis.
by penis enlargement pills you can overcome these problems and not only that you can also enlarge, extend also to strengthen your penis and premature ejaculation will not exist anymore for you.
visit http://www.factspenisenlargement.com for more info.