Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets

When Trick Daddy finally broke into the mainstream in 2001 with the appropriately titled I'm a Thug, it came as somewhat of a surprise. No one questioned his talent, but his image hardly matched that of other mainstream rappers. He certainly lived up to his thug billing, known as much for his rapping as his trademark omnipresent grimace, bald head, prickly whiskers and forearm tattoos. Nevertheless, thug or not, Trick Daddy became a national superstar, earning substantial mainstream airplay and climbing atop the Billboard charts. Growing in strength like his Southern brothers Outkast, Trick Daddy has released one high-quality album after another, each one expanding on the best moments of the last one. Being a true, sleazy thug might always keep him from reaching Outkast's попpoptacular, always-on-MTV success. Too bad, since Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets is his Stankonia and would have him blowing up big time if it weren't for his awfully nasty, MTV-unfriendly mouth and the widespread fear of down-bottom Southern rap.

Half the excitement of picking up a Trick Daddy disc is that you have no idea what to expect. Hyper-political numbers like Amerika or nonsensical party fluff like Shut Up? On this album Trick Daddy delivers more of that Miami heat that he is known for. He is a good lyricist and rhymes are adept. Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets is an ambitious album with 17 tracks and packed with guest stars – ones you'd expect and one you wouldn't, like Ron Isley. Isley's soulful voice on the guitar-filled I Cry is just one of many astonishing curve balls the album throws the listener, every one of them crossing the plate. An obscure Talking Heads track, Sugar on My Tongue, is the oddball basis for the excellent jam Sugar (Gimme Some) with Cee-Lo and Ludacris guesting. On I Wanna Sang and The Children’s Song Trick Daddy doesn’t miss a beat when he attempts to do his traditional gig, which displays Trick Daddy as he talks to the kids. He always pushes the message to the children full force and does a respectful and truthful job. Ozzy Osbourne's yelp from Crazy Train adds to the chaos of Let's Go, featuring Twista and an especially hot Lil' Jon. If that isn't enough star power for you, Jazze Pha, Money Mark, Ying Yang Twins, and that long-lost Southern diva Khia join the party, but this is Trick Daddy's album all the way.

Ever since Nann Nigga, Trick Daddy has been consistent in putting out a steady stream of hits. Not only is he funny, he’s so real that you got to respect his demeanor. He's corrected some errors made last time out by tightening up his poignant numbers to be more on-point, and the production is light years ahead of anything else he's ever done. Even the skits are worth repeated listens, and although the album runs over an hour, you'd be hard-pressed to find a track to skip. Be warned: while the music is glittery gold, Trick Daddy's mouth can get porno-store filthy and J.O.D.D. could make Larry Flynt blush. If you can handle that, Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets is nothing short of fantastic and required listening for fans of the Dirty South.