Personnel: Danny "Styles" Schofield (vocals, keyboards); Thomasha Simmons (vocals); Scarface (guitar, keyboards); Craig Love, Rick Marcel, Joshua "Trumpet Solo" Lopez, Joel Kitnis, Victor Williamson (guitar); N.O. Joe (piano, organ, keyboards, drum programming); Kenneth Crouch (piano, organ, keyboards); Ced Keys International (keyboards).
Audio Mixers: DJ B Doe; Phillip Ramos; Anthony Palazzole; Gary Fly; Kori Anders; Joe Peluso; Averexx; Geoff Rice; Bob Brown ; Travis Pochintesta; Tony Rey; Jonathon "Lil' Jon" Smith; Sean Brennan ; Brian Stanley ; N.O. Joe; Paul Gregory ; Rich Keller; Rich Tapper; Leslie Brathwaite; Cory Mo.
Photographers: Clay Patrick McBride; Edgar L. Walker Jr.
Long before Houston rap came to define the sound of the Dirty South, UGK (the Underground Kingz), along with the Geto Boys, were holdin' it down strong for H-Town. While the duo of Bun B and Pimp C never achieved major cross-over success--spitting woozy gangsta tales a few too many years before mainstream radio was prepared for them--they gained a loyal fanbase and the respect of their fellow MCs (chief among them Jay-Z, who featured UGK on his classic track "Big Pimpin'").
After a brief separation marked by prison time for Pimp C and solo albums by both, UGK came back strong on UNDERGROUND KINGZ, a sprawling dripped-and-draped Dirty South block-rocker. A veritable who's-who from across the entire hip-hop spectrum pay their respects here, including Talib Kweli, Dizzee Rascal, Three 6 Mafia, T.I., and Big Daddy Kane. While glittery guest lists are a dime a dozen in hip-hop, the breadth and diversity of those on board here is proof positive that everybody wants to be down with the Kingz.
Professional Reviews
Spin (p.96) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Still Ridin' Dirty,' which samples the ominous piano chords from Scarface's 'The Fix,' is a deliciously cold-blooded anthem."
Entertainment Weekly (p.69) - "On the raunchy 'Like That' and the funk-driven 'The Game Belongs to Me,' UGK show enough swagger to rightfully claim their throne." -- Grade: B+
The Wire (p.75) - "It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to compare Houston's UGK to Outcast..."
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