From the first few seconds, a voice sounds like the beginning of a movie. Marvin Gaye‘s “What’s Going On,” joined by the chunky drum kicks and loose riffs of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette,” Lil Troy’s “Wanna Be A Baller” is instantly iconic. The signature synth line of the classic Houston rap cut isn’t a direct rip off of the “Little Red Corvette,” of course. Rather, it’s like a vague memory leaking from a distant trunk speaker. Listening to Big T’s syrupy hook earworms makes you sit in the passenger seat of Chevrolet his Impala, but with the mournful “Make money easy/But there’s got to be a better way.” There is also an atmosphere.
Lil Troy’s debut album Sittin’ Fat Down South was released independently in 1998 for the first time, following Houston Rap’s proven self-reliant tradition of rappers working independently for years and building a trusted local audience. Universal signed Troy based on the explosive success of “Wanna Be a Baller” and re-released the album in 1999. It was thanks to die-hard fans who copied and spread his tapes that DJ Screw’s unique sound appeal began to gain national recognition outside of Texas. words.
Listen to Lil Troy songs Sittin’ Fat Down South now.
But it was still a few years before Houston’s rap swept national television, and Troy’s smooth, messed-up sound was still an anomaly. There is another reason why “Wanna Be A Baller” was an anomaly. Lil Troy is credited as a writer and producer, but his biggest hits bearing his name don’t actually feature his own voice. Instead, it features Fat Pat, Hawk, Youngster, Big T and Lil Will’s signature singing Houston Flow. These five are five outstanding members of Screwed Up Click, an ever-evolving group of artistic comrades born all over the world. DJ screw.
But then, the possecat-like nature of this track makes sense. “Wanna Be A Baller” distills hours of screw tape and faint freestyle cyphers into a single joint, embodying the collective ethos that often defines Houston rap. DJ Screw was a notorious workaholic whose doors were always open, and artists in his orbit honed their craft in many ways just by hanging out with him. So I went to his house not just to see the wizard at work, but to get a feel for the atmosphere. , blowing a breeze and flowing over every sound he chopped and lay.
Troy himself was also “affiliated” with Screwed Up, including Devin the Dude and UGK, and regularly collaborated with Screw’s crew, but was not entirely a full-fledged member of the collective. was one of the prominent Texan artists of Nonetheless, his defining hit is one of his most important documents of the Screw-Up scene and its unique sound, and Southern is one of the most creative in his rap history. Positioning one of his moments as a living snapshot.That collaborative energy continues Sittin’ Fat Down South. With Geto Boys member Willie D scarface On “Where’s the Love” and “Another Head Put to Rest,” SUC legends Botany Boys scramble over terrifying piano lines on “Chop, Chop, Chop.”if still Sittin’ Fat Down South It’s getting more national attention than contemporary Houston records, but it’s still unmistakably Texas. “Still AB***h” is a straight-up country soul banger with a slightly peculiar intonation.
Many of the voices on “Wanna Be a Baller” died in the years immediately following its release. It hurts my heart Many have passed away from the Houston scene, not only from the tragic death of DJ Screw, but also from George Floyd, who appeared in several SUC freestyles in the mid-’90s under the name Big Floyd. In retrospect, it often feels like the Screw wasn’t just delaying the music, it was delaying time itself. Perhaps he wanted to give more to people who, as black men in a violently racist society, knew they might not have much time left. Maybe.
Listen to Lil Troy songs Sittin’ Fat Down South now.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, uDiscover Music will publish 50 album reviews throughout 2023 that highlight the breadth and depth of the genre. The Hip-Hop 50 logo was designed by Eric Haze, who also worked on the iconic graphics for EPMD and LL Cool J.
