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II Trill
by Bun B
UGK's Bun B sophomore solo album's featured guests include Sean Kingston, Pimp C, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, Mya, Chamillionaire, and Juvenile.
| LABEL: |
Rap-a-Lot |
| RELEASE DATE: |
20 May 2008 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rap |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
90
RapReviews.com
With II Trill Bun B's ensured the legacy of U.G.K. will exist for decades to come, but more importantly he's created the album that every hip-hop head from North to South with have rattling out of their trunk all summer long.
89
Austin Chronicle
II Trill but never too trill, the second solo swagger from UGKer Bun B spins triumphant, Houston hip-hop ripped both in celebration of properly executed gangster prophecies and passed partner-in-slang Pimp C.
88
Los Angeles Times
Bun B's second solo record is an impressive late-career triumph, one with a poignancy and resonance worthy of his dedication and devotion to the memory of his departed friend.
80
Billboard
On the Jodeci-sampled 'You're Everything,' Bun B rhymes about his love for his hometown of Houston, while poverty, politics and spirituality dominate the reflective 'If It Was Up to Me.' But the most heartfelt track on the album is the one dedicated to Pimp C, 'Angel in the Sky.'
80
Blender
His second solo album (which he dedicates to Pimp C, his partner in the pioneering Houston rap duo UGK who died of a codeine overdose last December) features blunts, ho's and Caddy-shaking beats galore--but also elegantly constructed takedowns of corrupt politicians, covetous ministers and crooked police.
80
The New York Times
The tracks on II Trill are brawnier and slicker than before. The minor chords are pumped up with reverb and orchestral heft (though the horns and strings are synthesized), and the songs are full of pop vocal melodies, like the Jamaican singer Sean Kingston’s harmony choruses in 'That’s Gangsta.'
80
Vibe
II Trill draws its cohesion from its production, a stew of juicy grooves, synth patches, and gumbo-thick basslines. But what makes the album tick is an emotional complexity: Like an old sage, Bun B gracefully vacillates between raw fury and weathered wisdom.
80
Village Voice
II Trill, is psychologically up-market, with genuinely well-appointed guest spots (that Webbie and Lupe Fiasco both sound comfortable on the same album speaks volumes) and hungry young producers offering their best tricks.
80
Boston Globe
The album is dark and menacing, and also better than the first "Trill," even if Bun doesn't threaten to slap anyone in the face with a pie a la mode.
80
PopMatters
If there was ever any doubt that the prolific MC could make it on his own, this disc stands as a firm "fuck you."
80
PopMatters
II Trill is obviously not Bun B’s defining musical statement; UGK has way too many classics in the bank for that. What it is, though, is a consistently great rap album by a consistently great emcee.
80
The Wire
The beats are tighter, the rhymes sharper and the subject matter more relevant. [July 2008, p.66]
77
Pitchfork
II Trill is a solid and occasionally great record, an album more directed toward car-stereo utility than bedroom contemplation.
73
cokemachineglow
The record attempts nothing: it doesn’t stretch or break a sweat but celebrates its easy victory ecstatically, like some asshole Olympic sprinter racing against a middle school track team.
70
Spin
Bun combines swagger with substance without losing a step. [June 2008, p.104]
70
All Music Guide
This time out, he's a single short and couple songs too long, but his back is strong enough to carry the weight, proving once again he's one of the Dirty South's most reliable voices.
60
Q Magazine
Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere is often weigted with doom, though there's an intoxicating impetus to the tar-like bass and woozy funk. [Aug 2008, p.140]
The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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