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The Rice Thresher
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Yukmouth's grimy voice and loudness often get him labeled as a low-rent DMX, but the former Luniz member has carved something of a niche for himself, and stands apart from both fellow Bay Area rappers and his Rap-A-Lot labelmates. Thug Lord: The New Testament is similar in many ways to his previous album, Thugged Out: The Albulation, but is considerably better. Its length is a much more bearable 15 tracks, rather than the two full CDs comprising his last album. "Clap Yo Hands," the first single, is a hilarious take-off on the timeless "If You're Happy and You Know It." The song is playful and energetic, and the comedy comes from the replacement of "happy" with such street words as "thuggin'." "Oh Boy!," the rumored second single, is the best song on the album, with Yukmouth chanting frenetically over a West Coast beat reminiscent of Dr. Dre's recent work. Unlike Thugged Out, which had too many guest appearances, Thug Lord has just the right balance of Yukmouth and his guests. Kurupt and Nate Dogg appear on "So Ignorant," which retains the Bay Area sound despite the Dogg Pound's presence. "We Gone Ride" features the Outlawz and is on the same level as their previous collaboration, the 2Pac tribute "Still Ballin." The posse cut, "Regime Killers 2001," features a number of lesser-known rappers and Yukmouth's scathing verse dissing Master P. The album also features excellent appearances by C-Bo and Kool G Rap. It is difficult to find problems with this album, although "Hi Maintenance" with Lil Mo' is a somewhat annoying mix of R&B and hardcore rap. "Puffin Lah," the perfunctory weed-smoking anthem, is also a rather weak song. Dating back to the fall, Thug Lord marks the fourth straight solid release from Houston's Rap-A-Lot records. Fans of Rap-A-Lot and West Coast rap should definitely pick this one up. - Todd Makse
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