Much has already been made over Bun B’s Trill OG and the fanfare is warranted how that the album is here.
The album gets started with Rap-A-Lot founder J. Prince proclaiming Bun B “a genius at work” then Bun B blazes over a Steve Below beat chocked full of organs and risqué guitars. “Chuurch,” the intro, is a fitting start to an album that has represent the ironclad longevity of both Rap-A-Lot and UGK.
Bun quickly fires off the anthemic “Trillionaire,” with features the autotune king T-Pain, but there is absolutely nothing trendy or frivolous about this song. He immediately follows up with the Young Jeezy-assisted “Just Like That” and then “Put It Down” with Drake, J. Prince proclaiming him to be a member of the Rap-A-Lot family. The Drake song is particularly heartfelt and gets everybody ready to remember some of Hip-Hop’s fallen soldiers.
Hearing Tupac and Pimp C rap nasty over a jazzy beat is delightful, forcing Bun and crooner Trey Songz to inadvertently play the back a bit. Trill OG continues with “Countin’ Money” with Gucci Mane and Yo Gotti, which honestly is more standard fare from a Southern perspective. Bun instantaneously changes any typical notions with Speakeasy” which features the ever-impressive Twista, who raps over a punchy track with hits of synth.
“Lights, Cameras, Action” and “I G## Down 4 Mine” are two incredible records both produced by the aforementioned Steve Below. “Lights” marks a sonic expansion for Bun B, where as “I G## Down 4 Mine” evokes Italian gangsters. “Let ‘Em Know,” produced by DJ Premiere, is another incredible song that exemplifies the fine balance between growth and core Hip-Hop values.
Bun B closes up Trill OG with reflective, emotional records, “All A Dream” and “Its Been A Pleasure.” Both song rap up this tremendously enjoyable album. Bun B’s resolve and resilience in Hip-Hop are almost unparalleled. He like Jay-Z, Raekwon and others are demonstrating Hip-Hop can age gracefully and consistently create complete albums, all the while remaining competitive. Trill OG is the third in a series that includes Trill and II Trill. This opus is the most consistent in the series and indicates that its time the Underground King stays above ground here on.
Encore.