Top 10 Pimp C Tracks

R.I.P.

1. UGK - Diamonds and Wood
Even though he never shied away from gangster-boasts on his verses, Pimp C also often offered an incredible insight into the life of a drug-dealer. The final verse of Diamonds and Wood is easily Pimp C's best ever. I won't quote much here, you should just go listen to the track, from "Ridin' Dirty". When he repeats "I'm smokin' skunk and poppin' the trunk to make me feel good" as the hook kicks in for final time, he completes his perfect verse. P.S. It also just happens that the beat is one of greatest southern beats of all time - and yep, it was co-produced by Pimp C himself.

2. UGK - One Day You're Here
Another Pimp C production, this is the stunning opening track to "Ridin' Dirty." The instrumental is incredibly chilled and, coupled with Ron Isley's magical singing, takes you away from whatever is on your mind and transports you to Houston, Texas, where you will remain for the remainder of the album. Pimp also spits another great verse to finish this track.

And then when I got on my knees that night to pray
I asked God why he let these killas live and take my homeboy's son away
Man if you got kids show em you love em cuz God jus might call em home
Cuz one day you here but baby the next day you gone

3. Pimp C - Slow Down feat. Cory Mo
This is another awesomely chilled beat. Perhaps one of my favourites of all time. Pimp plays it perfectly too... "I used to sell weed, then I sold crack / I used to ride in a old-school gold 'llac" he informs us. Word em up...that's hood.

4. UGK - International Players Anthem feat. Outkast
This track, this time produced by Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J and DJ Paul, is many fans' favourite hip-hop single of the year 2007; and for good reason. Andre opens the track with an incredibly inventive verse, and then as the drum beat kicks in over the chorals we hear "Sweet Jones" and C proceeds to absolutely rip up the track:

My bitch a choosin' lover, never fuck without a rubber
Never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover
Money on the dresser, drive a Kompressor
Top notch hos: get the most, not the lesser

5. UGK - It's Supposed to Bubble
The amount of insanely high quality southern chilled beats Pimp C was involved in is staggering. Seemingly everything he touched, turned to gold. This is another prime example. If we are naming the top hip-hop producers of all time on quantity of quality beats, Pimp C is easily top 5.

6. UGK - Shattered Dreams
This track is also on UGK's latest album "Underground Kingz." Pimp gives a couple of highly positive verses right here, reminding prostitutes that it is never too late to change your ways, and encouraging youngsters to go for their dreams.

7. Jay-Z - Big Pimpin' feat. UGK
This has to be on this list doesn't it? UGK's relationship with Jay-Z (don't forget Jay quoted Pimp C on "99 Problems") was an important relationship in UGK's career and in the history of hip-hop. What you get here from Pimp C is a short verse, but typically Pimpalicious shit.

Uhhh, now what y'all know bout them Texas boys
Comin down in candied toys, smokin weed and talkin noise

8. Pimp C - Swang Down / 10 A Key
On this one Pimp came with a more intense type of track. And it's ill, with Chad flippin the classic "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" hook of Parliament's. Then mid-track the whole beat changes and Pimp starts declaring "Sixteen five, bitch that's too high." Oh shit, you better rethink that...

9. Pimp C - Young Prostitute
Word em up. C lays down his shit here, telling us "I need a prostitute". So you'd think it would be a dark track huh? Nah, he then adds that it needs to be a "clean" prostitute...and the almost inconceivably celebratory beat continues on its merry way. This is how Pimp C always did it. Turning a negative into a positive. Dude was a hedonistic mutherfucker.

10. UGK - Heaven
I wonder if there is a heaven up there for real Gs. I fucking hope so...Rest In Peace.

Worst 10 Dr. Dre Tracks of All Time

Constructive Criticism? That's all...

Ok, Dre is at least top 3 producers of all time no matter who you ask. Dude is a living legend. I have already done a post about his top ten tracks. But dude is human after all. I thought I'd look at his worst tracks...

10. Eve - That's What It Is

The production qualities on this track are superb. I mean, Dre produced it, come on! Unfortunately though, it feels like it was just "mailed in". It's too obvious. You could pick that this a Dre track from a mile away...sometimes that can be a good thing but in this case it is not.

9. 50 Cent - Straight to the Bank

This new track from 50 Cent has kinda again a "mailed in" feel. Although this time, the beat is worse. Nice bass line though. But how many 4/4 Synth Orchestras do we need? Here he can't even give us a Orchestra Chord...just a solitary note repeated over and over. Then he brings in that cool sounding "Ass Like That" string instrument but the damage has been done already...

8. Jay-Z - Thirty Something

This track is pretty terrible. Hand claps. Check. Bass line. Check. Orchestra progression at end of ever loop. Check. Dope beat...uhm, nah. It just doesn't sound that good. And Jay-Z trying to prove he is still fresh by telling us how grown up he is (?) isn't really helping.

7. Busta Rhymes - Don't Get Carried Away

Nah, its not working. Dre goes for simplicity...one heavy bass "d-d-d-duh" then raise the tone "d-d-d-duh." Add, oh yeah, a handclap again. Add some creepy chords over it and even a female keyboard choir "Ah Ah Ah!" Argh indeed...

6. The Firm - Firm Family

This one I'll excuse. Dre was obviously trying something here and it didn't really work out. At all. That is a real weak beat...

5. D-12 - Ain't Nuthin But Music

Yeah this beat ain't really doing anything. It's just...there. On an album. And with D-12 over it. I don't think Dre was trying anything here and he didn't really achieve anything.

4. Eminem - My Daddy's Gone Crazy

This is just a stupid song. It's not really Dre's fault. He probably gave Eminem exactly what he wanted. He probably should've avoided getting his name on that beat, though. Maybe coulda said Eminem produced it...wouldn't be too far fetched.

3. Xzibit - Choke Me, Spank Me, Pull My Hair

What the fuck happened here? Club bangers can be dope. But if they fail, they can be absolutely horrible. Ok...so this is a failed club banger.

2. Dr. Dre - Pause 4 Porno

Lol. Do I really need to listen to this? Props to him for trying to bring porn away from the screen and into the speakers. But I prefer just watching the fly babes in your music videos to get a hard on.

1. Eminem - Just Lose It

This was just a ridiculously bad beat. I don't know how Dre managed to produce this one. What's worse, is that it is a lead-off single for an album. Actually, I really just don't want to talk about this beat...

Top Ten Dr. Dre Tracks

Dre: likes nothing more than being behind the boards

It's time for another top 10 post. I was just listening to all the tracks I have produced by Dr. Dre. So I thought I'd do a top 10 Dre-produced tracks.

10. My Name Is
I'll put this here cos it was a completely new style for a new artist. On every album Eminem has released, he always has a lead single like this, with playful Dre production, where Em is just crazy. Tracks like this show Dre's versatility and show that he can change up his style depending on what the artist is attempting to achieve.

9. Break Ya Neck
Just a fucking great production. Creative and banging...perfect for some ill Busta-ness over.

8. How We Do
Word. A slower jam, it bumps nonetheless. 100% pristine production. 100%.

7. Family Affair
What? R&B?!?! Of course this has to be here. Get the fuck out of here if you disagree. That beat is mad. The orchestra notes fit in so well and are catchy as hell. Really gives a nice bounce to an R&B song which I find is too rare these days. You can't help but nod your head to this shit. Really set it up for some ill singing from Mary J.

6. In Da Club
I'll put this here cos it's probably the biggest song of the millenium. It launched not only a career, but a whole Unit's career. Simplicity at its best. Dre defined the new millenium club banger right here with this one song. Others have tried to duplicate this template. But the original is the best. Again, Dre utilizes Orchestra instruments extremely well.

5. Still D.R.E.
Over a keyboard riff kindly supplied by Scott Storch and a funky bassline from Mike Elizondo, what did Dre really do here? Well, first he recognised that shit could be a worldwide hit. Then he added those cool little guitar lines at the end of every stanza, and made the drums bang. Bang...a classic beat is produced.

4. California Love
Perhaps the best known song in the current era of music to utilize the Talk Box, Dre enlisted Roger Troutman (R.I.P.) of Zapp to sing this one. Yeah yeah EPMD already used Joe Cocker's "Woman to Woman" but come on...Dre made it a worldwide hit. The synths and shit he added on top...and the Talk Box effect, are what set this song apart. Peace to EPMD though, but that's what Dre does.

3. Who Am I? (What's My Name)
The incredible synth bass line in this track is impossible not to love. Originally created by Funkadelic, it was seemingly genetically engineered to get people grooving. Add some hand claps, some Snoop and some Atomic Dog and you got the best track on one of the best albums of the decade. Not bad, that...

2. Fuck Tha Police
This song will always be remembered. DJ Yella and Dre produced this for N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. I think it was way ahead of it's time, production wise. The bass hits hard. For that era, the sampling quality is crazy. It was not uncommon to sample James Brown's "Funky President" at the time butDre used it better than anyone else...

1. Nuthin but a G Thang
Number 1, without a doubt. It's too chilled. It affects you know matter if its the 1st, 10th or 1000th time you've heard it. Snoop comes effortless on this...and it's hard not too, so chilled is the beat. Just reminds of the beach...reminds you of L.A. Dre really captured a mood here and this will forever be one of the greatest hip-hop tracks of all time.