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Click here to view all of Benz0's reviews THREE 6 MAFIA ALBUM REVIEW: MOST KNOWN UNKNOWN “We have a lot to do with what’s going on in hiphop today but [people] don’t realize it…[people] in the streets realize it but the press and the industry don’t realize it..” - Three 6 Mafia. Three 6 Mafia got another album out this year?!! Yep. What’s it called? MOST KNOWN UNKNOWN. Didn’t they just drop a Soundtrack for their movie Choices 2?? Yep. But this is 3-6 Mafia - leaders of the “most known unknown” hardest working click in hiphop whose only equal in tireless work is 8-Ball & MJG and perhaps Mobb Deep (Dipset, 50 Cent, Lil Flip and Ludacris are slowly climbing into this elite hard-working category though but need another 5 years of consistent hustling to even get close). A lot of folks that are part of the pathetic Commercial HipHop Music Nation or overseas still may not know who this group is but 3-6 Mafia is synonymous with Southern rap. Whether it’s ruling the Southern and Midwest airwaves or guest starring on other Down South albums like Mike Jones or I-20 or blessing artists with their patented eerie tracks, Three-Six is always omni-present in down South hiphop. Hailing out of Memphis, Tennessee this group has been laying it down for 10 years keeping true to themselves and most importantly keeping it real with their fans. Almost EVERY hiphop artist I’ve ever loved has sold me out by changing their style up to a less abrasive, MORE COMMERCIAL, form of hiphop to my utter disgust. But 3-6 always keeps it real and grimy and I love them for that. 3-6 Mafia is so true to their roots that they’ll never have to worry about not selling a lot of records because in return for always keeping their style true they’ve garnered a maniacal and cult like following that will always support their crazy and controversial style. To me they are the shining example of how a hiphop group should go about their business - Keep the music production solid, the style and theme consistent, the albums dropping yearly, and the fan pleasing singles in heavy rotation. On top of that 3-6 Mafia always gives the fans some added treats when you buy their albums. Some versions of this CD are Dual CDs with a movie on the flip side. In the Choices 2 Soundtrack container all the CDs come with the movie too. And of course they always give us extra bonus songs to ride out to. Case in point is the gem of a remix they have of their latest hot single “Stay Fly”. Let’s see what other goodies these crazy thugs have for us cuckoo fans. I have to go on record and call “Stay Fly” the 2nd best song of the year next to “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” by Kanye West (With apologies to Young Jeezy’s “Soul Survivor”). It’s the only other song this year that I can listen to on repeat for about 3 hours straight and not get bored. Note the raw, in your face, matter of fact lyrics. Note the genius chorus that not only samples Willie Hutchison’s “Tell Me Why Has Our Love Gone Cold” but also cleverly chops up the “high” and “die” words in the chorus. It represents a surreal journey into the hardcore reality of Memphis hiphop and also features a perfectly crafted video that flows just as smoothly as the song. The remix is equally entertaining as Trick Daddy, Project Pat, and Slim Thug bless the track. Once the incredible “Stay Fly” featuring 8-Ball & MJG and Young Buck song ends on track 2 we also get treated to “Roll With it” that is classic 3-6 as “Who Run it” is repeated in the background throughout the song. Other patented Mafia tracks are “Hard Hittaz” featuring Boogiemane, “Half on a Sack”, “When I Pull Up At The Club” featuring Paul Wall, and “Don’t Cha Get Mad” featuring Lil Flip. Along with the classic “fight Music” tracks though we get blessed by a great collaboration with Remy Martin in “P**** Got You Hooked”. It’s probably the 2nd best track on the album and represents the only type of “love song” 3-6 would ever do. One expressing NO LOVE for them scheming a&& tricks trying to get you sprung in order to spring them dollars out your wallet. LOL. Other nice gems that don’t fit the normal mold are “Poppin My Collar” (which is truly a breath of fresh air) and the screwed up “Swervin’” that samples the 2 hottest Houston artists out in Mike Jones and Paul Wall. But hold up!! We get FOUR more bonus songs that are ALL above average. Those include “Got it 4 Sale”, “Dancin On a Pole”, “Ain't Got Time For Games”, and “Let’s Plan A Robbery”. The latter is the best out of the bunch because of the irony of the chorus that sounds joyous but really is an ominous ode to crime. But leave it to 3-6 to make their 4 bonus songs darn near the best 4 songs o the album. Now of course as is usual with Three Six you have to kind of wade through the two or three tracks where the chorus is way too juvenile or the track just a little bit too stagnant for its own good. In general Three Six’ style is one that PURPOSELY repeats several aspects of a track and chorus which of course gives them their own sound, style and cult-like group of fans. But they routinely walk the fine line between boring and simple genius. But barring those two or three songs this album is yet another solid creation of sinister genius that ALL Three Six fans MUST pick up. Again Three Six is only for the truest street soldiers and female macks. All you pitiful “I only like tracks that remind me of 1989” or “I hate that gangsta music stuff out these days” fans won’t know how to appreciate the musical gifts Three Six has given us. The rest of y’all that know the deal don’t hesitate to pick this up.
Benz0
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