UGK 4 LIFE [CLEAN]

Five months before Pimp C died, it seemed UGK emptied the vaults with their two-CD Underground Kingz release, but UGK 4 Life proves the group was on the creative upswing right up to their unfortunate end. Feeling planned and fully formed rather than cobbled together, the album is filled with the usual high-quality hooks, the same stone-cold bravado, and the Pimp's always amusing, highly developed love of sleaze. Highlights include the furious "Still on the Grind" which looks towards a blinged-out future that would never be, plus the slithering "Everybody Wanna Ball" which brings fine reminders of the group's classic "Pocket Full of Stones." The unity felt on "The Pimp & the Bun" is now heartwarming and so very bittersweet, and while "Da Game Been Good to Me" looks a lot like the last album's "The Game Belongs to Me" -- especially with Avarexx on both cuts -- it's an entirely new single that places with their best work. The fascinating ying and yang of UGK is best illustrated by the Pimp's unmentionable track with Lil Boosie and Webbie -- one his most filthy and fun numbers ever -- and the poignant outro where Bun gives fans a proper nod but can't quite bring himself to close the book on the group. [UGK 4 Life was also made available in a clean version with all explicit material removed.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide