Ying Yang Twins Album: “United State Of Atlanta (Chopped & Screwed) [PA]”

Description :

Personnel: Ying Yang Twins; Free , Jacki-O , Adam Levine, Lil Jon, Lil Scrappy, Mike Jones , Missy Elliott, Pitbull , Anthony Hamilton, Avant, BG , Three 6 Mafia, Teedra Moses, Homebwoi, Da Muzicians, Countrie Biggz, Anwar, Bun B, Busta Rhymes. <p>Like Outkast, the Ying Yang Twins are progenitors of southern hip-hop that's a mix of gangsta rap, party jams, and jittery beats, and on UNITED STATE OF ATLANTA the Ying Yang Twins approach the game like a house party thrown in a recording studio. For starters, the wide variety of guests popping up throughout this 70-minute-plus project adds a feeling of randomness, recklessness, and fun. Neo-soul crooner Anthony Hamilton provides some honeyed vocals on the gospel-flavored "Long Time," and Maroon 5's Adam Levine holds his own on the electro-funk of "Live Again," with its nod to the travails of exotic dancers. There's also plenty of support from Dirty South brethren such as Mike Jones & Mr. Collipark (on "Badd"), and tough gal Jacki-O (on the DMX-flavored "Hoes"). The interspersed skits comment on a range of topics: "We at War" touches on the seriousness of America's foreign policy, while things get quite a bit raunchier on bits like "Sex Therapy 101," "102" and "103."

It's amazing; no matter how terrible a Southern hip-hop album maybe, it sounds immediately better once gone over with the chopped and screwed treatment. I wrote a review for the original version of this album, and while that album was below the line of mediocrity, it is able to just reach it with this remix. Chopped & Screwed isn't for everyone however, so I wouldn't suggest coming into this release unless you're familiar with the style.

Chopped & Screwed music has been widely recognized as the hip-hop equivalent of psychadelic rock; the lyrics are rarely comprehensible out of a drug-induced haze, and play second fiddle to the focal-star of the music; the slow, and grinding grooves. Like psychadelic, the assistance of drugs are recommended to fully enjoy the experience, however, even if you're completely sober, it can still give you a musical high.

Michael Watts chopped this album up, and he is only second to the legendary DJ Screw when it comes to this art. He only chops a handful of albums outside his Swishahouse label, with a seemingly strict view of what albums are waiting to be screwed. The Ying Yang Twins' U.S.A. was just asking for the treatment, and I can whole-heartedly say I enjoy this chopped and screwed variation much more than the original.

If you want my opinion on the actual U.S.A. album, check out my review on the regular issue; for this review, I'm simply grading this on the chopped and screwed music in front of me. Most of these tracks have new life thanks to Michael Watts, and ALL of these tracks share more life than the original had; their hypnotic qualities also assist in making a better product. Wait(The Whisper Song), which was originally intended to be a club-banger, sounds like it'd fit on the score of a horror movie in this context. 23 Hour Lock Down sounds like a certified H-Town classic in this format as well, and the guest appearance by Bun B definitely helps. Long Time is positively creepy, and melancholic on this release, and could very well send a shiver down the bravest man's spine. Shake also goes from club-banger to a track that'll get everyone throwing 'bows, which is definitely one of the stranger, and more effective, transformations on this release.

Even given the positives that chopping and screwing it provided, it still doesn't push it above the line of average. It's got some dope screw tracks, but there're definitely better screw-tapes out there; if you were a fan of the original, and a fan of the innovative H-Town remixing style, this album will be right up your alley. If you're a fan of one or the other, you may also like this. If you hate both the Twins and C&S music, obviously avoid this, as well as the original.