Album Review: Bigg UU - The Lonestar State of Mind
June 20, 2011
Bigg UU might just be the next big thing out of Texas. Having released mixtapes hosted by DJ Smallz, Don Cannon, DJ IllWill & DJ Rockstar, Bigg UU is certainly getting his name thrown around. The Lonestar State of Mind is Bigg UU's debut album. Going through the album you can definitely recognize the Texas sound in Bigg UU's work. The Lonestar State of Mind has features from Curren$y, Chalie Boy, C. Stone, & a few others. Producers primarily include E. Dan & Johnny Juliano. I was a little skeptical starting with the fact that I've never preferred Texas rap. But I'm willing to give any artist a chance. If I had to describe Bigg UU, I would describe him as a lyrical Rick Ross. His music brings the same energy as Ross's does, but Bigg UU is capable of actually putting in lyrical work. Another plus for Bigg UU is that he makes feel good music. Everyone has that desire to feel just incredibly awesome and you get that listening to this album. The Lonestar State of Mind gives us 17 tracks of no bullshit music. I can put this album on the list of albums where you can sit and listen to the whole thing without skipping a track. So, let's hop right into the tracks that were highlights for me.
Highlights:
The Lonestar State of Mind
Any time an artist includes a title track on the album, it better bring the heat. And that is exactly what this track is. E. Dan is one of those producers who mass produce beats and then sell them on their website. A misconception is that the beats are sometimes not as good when they are mass produced. But E. Dan gets a slide because this beat is dope, in fact every beat on this album produced by Dan is dope. Giving a shout out to the founders Bun-B & Pimp-C was class by Bigg UU too. Hopefully Bun-B will reach out to Bigg UU for a feature. Their sounds would blend well.
Life's A Movie
I recognized this beat right off the back. This is the beat off of Wiz Khalifa's - Big Screen. Big Screen was never officially released and this may be the reason why. The problem E. Dan has is that multiple artists purchase beats and record on them. I'm guessing that Bigg UU first purchased the beat for this song and then Wiz Khalifa made Big Screen. Big Screen was forced to never be made because Bigg UU already owned the song. This may not be exactly what happened, but I'm sure I'm close. For the record this blows Big Screen out the water. There's no auto-tune, so it's a knockout win for Bigg UU. The chorus is very well made with JC on the chorus. Tracks like this can bring Bigg UU mainstream success. Mainstream is tough for artists out of Texas as there isn't many songs that are radio friendly, but this song has a great chance.
Texas Revival
Unfortunately, the Texas sound isn't played in many places outside of Texas. Bigg UU has the potential to expand that zone though. Texas hasn't produced anybody big in the rap world for sometime. Bun-B & Pimp C were the most successful, but since Pimp C's death Texas is slowly dissolving. Within Texas, there are quite successful artists, but outside the sound is slowly dying down. Bigg UU has a weight on his shoulders, but he has the potential to knock one out of the park. This was a great debut album, he just needs more promotion and hopefully his time will come. All it takes is one record and Texas rap will be saved.
Disappointments:
One Dimensional
Many southern rappers suffer from this. Their music all sounds the same track to track. Bigg UU has some variety, but he needs a lot more for me not to consider him as one dimensional. I'm not telling him to go out and make a dance record, but simplifying the beats and showcasing his lyrical ability on a track would do wonders for him.
Features
Curren$y & Chalie Boy was probably a big success for him, but he needs to get more recognizable big names with him. This is the hardest part for upcoming artists, but once one reaches out other will too. Not only artists, but also producers. It's very easy to get an E. Dan beat or a Johnny Juliano beat. Branching out to various producers will also lead to more artists.
Overall, The LoneStar State of Mind exceeded my expectations. I was expecting another general rapper with no skills looking to get his name out, but Bigg UU is the real deal. With expectations of reviving Texas, he is well on his way to the top. With some hard work don't be surprised when Bun-B isn't the only artist you recognize representing Texas. Bigg UU is putting in hard work, & this is an impressive debut album with no label help.
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Posted by Ryan Clark. Posted In : Review
