ugk

Before Chamillionaire was ridin' dirty, T.I. was livin' his life (in jail) and Weezy was stuntin' like his daddy, UGK (Underground Kingz) presided over the Southern rap scene.

The Houston-based duo enjoyed success for 18 years, releasing six studio albums and even garnering a Grammy nomination with the 2007 single "International Players Anthem." The untimely passing of co-founder and primary producer Chad "Pimp C" Butler in December 2008 derailed any future endeavors, but the two had put together enough recordings to release UGK 4 Life.

The album isn't for everyone, but fans of the Southern rap movement will be pleased. Bernard "Bun B" Freeman manages to create an album that's UGK at heart, with a 16-track release containing a variety of sounds and styles, including hard-rock guitar riffs, jazzy horns, mellow piano hooks and smooth, booming bass beats. "Back from the dead," Pimp C eerily states in the intro, reinforcing that this is a new album and not something thrown together for commercial purposes.

Lyrically, there's nothing new: girls, drugs, cars and livin' trill (true-real). The rhymes are, at times, graphic (see "Harry A-hole"), but both emcees have come a long way and their delivery is as clean and sharp as ever. The myriad musical influences are apparent, whether in the funk gangsta rap "Still on the Grind" or the soulful "The Pimp and the Bun," which features a memorable appearance from Ron Isley. The final track, "Da Game Been Good To Me," is an appropriate conclusion to the group's catalogue, as the two are pioneers in the sounds of the Dirty South and will continue to remain an influence.

While not on par with 1996's classic Ridin' Dirty, UGK 4 Life is a solid installment and a good, albeit forced, end to a lengthy career. R.I.P. Pimp C.