Rap is a young man’s game, and if you’re a veteran, your relevancy may very well be in question. Not for Juicy J. With over 20 years in the game, the Three 6 Mafia member is still making hits. Last year, he released “Bandz A Make Her Dance,” which peaked at the #29 spot on Billboard magazine’s “Hot 100” chart in the midst of a 20-week run before being certified platinum by the RIAA on August 1, 2013. The strip club anthem is still receiving applause in more ways than one. With the bar set, can the Memphis, Tennessee rapper maintain the momentum with his third solo album Stay Trippy?
From the outset, Juicy J makes a few things clear. He’s making money, fornicating with women, and can’t be bothered with haters because they don’t affect his ability to achieve the first two things. If you’re not into it, it’s probably best to listen to the title of the first cut and “Stop It” right there. The subject matter doesn’t stray much throughout the 16-track album. But that can be a plus if you enjoy rhymes about backstage rituals that include fellatio and moving weight like Jenny Craig. It’s really a preference thing.
A few things are undeniable though.
The production is tight—ranging from creeping drive-by music to aggressive versions of the “X Files” theme song. Producers like Young Chop and Mike WiLL Made It provide Trap soundscapes that complement Juicy J’s enunciate-every-syllable flow. He also incorporates well known samples such as Freda Payne’s “I Get High Off Your Memory” (most will recognize from Styles P’s “Good Times”) on “Wax” and the more recent “High For This,” using both to promote THC and making the sound his own.
There’s a lot of lazy lyricism on this album. Rhymes like, “I get head like lice,” on “Go Out” or “I smoke more weed than a hippy” on “If It Ain’t” are unforgivable. There’s even a “smoke until I look Chinese” line used twice on this project, once by Juicy J and again label head Wiz Khalifa. By and large, this is a collection of party records, so nobody is expecting Kendrick Lamar “Control” bars. But when you write quotables like Juicy J’s notorious line about his inability to refuse “ratchet pussy” from “Bandz A Make Her Dance,” you have to keep up…with yourself. And that goes for choruses too. There’s merit in the simplicity of many of the hooks on the album when its function as club music is considered, but none of them ever reach the catchiness of the aforementioned lead single.
The majority of the guests seem to have been strategically placed as most are charting. Some work better than others. Obviously there’s chemistry between family, old (Project Pat) and new (Wiz Khalifa), but Juicy J seems to work well with whoever. Perhaps this can be attributed to Juicy J’s habit of mixing rhymes about his vices with affairs from the street in almost every verse. It makes him something like a permanent guest feature, even on his own songs. And that can end up sounding generic.
Some Rap is tailor made for headphone listening and careful analysis of every word. Then there are songs that are meant to be played loud in public settings, and the lyrics don’t matter so much. If you haven’t already figured it out, Stay Trippy is the latter. And for as much flack as it receives, there is entertainment value there and it serves its purpose as a soundtrack to the “trippy” lifestyle. Still, existing within that world that overlooks lyrical competence or any moral deficiencies, there are enough instances where the veteran’s effortless style starts veering too close to effort-less. But it doesn’t seem like the veteran will be going away anytime soon.
Great review, agree 100%.
Same Juicy…outdated and uncreative lyrics paired with excellent producing. Another party album for the fucking frats.
3 stars mane.
Never listen to a dx review they gave Yeezus 4 n a half stars for fucks sake all cred went out the window.
Il prolly download this for a listen I got a shitload of 3 6 mafia albums to get through first
His 2nd album is a million times better. this is just to predictable and the same ol shit for the simple minded. i got half way through and had to turn it off all the same fl studio beats and im high again i got money.
dude sold out big time
this is music for retards
dude, the beats are super tight. his flow and style is on point. once again its these cry babies all up in arms cause the content is too raw or is the antithesis of socalled conscious do gooder pseudo intellectual rap. it aint all about lyrical content you robots!
@ poppa large:
beats super tight? Beats sound repetive and sound outdated
dope
4/5 minimum. based on production which is superior and juicy’s flow and style. content is a 2 way street people. sometimes you want less and sometimes you want more.sometimes you want conscious shitt (which can get whiny and depressing) and sometimes you want crazy hard/party shitt) theres a place for both so to me the whole juicy lacks content arguement is dead. there are a few lazy hooks and some more than basic rhymes in places but juicy delivers a tight package over all. the album is solid, juciy sound s dope, has style and can rap like a ma fukka. 1 or 2 songs are filler but you get 14 dope tracks. if your not in the mood for the content then you can always play some talib or lupe. it would get bring if everybody was full of content or if everybody was just ignant.
^^4/5 minimum?? You are retarded. This shit is trash. Rating it a 3 was generous by Hiphopdx.
^^
dude , you sound like a pusssy. album is nice. not for squares or lames though. tight production, rappin about gettin bent and the ladies! sound dope to me.
pseudo intellectual “retards” and ignorant weenies dont dig that raw juicy j shitt. your too busy listening to socalled underground rap or boring ass nas.
^^You are sad.
oh yeah -the wale verse on bounce it is crazy! and juicys flow throughout the album is nice. you want content read a non fiction book. most socalled conscious rappers or dudes with content arnt even that deep or interesting.
you obviously dont listen to any conscious rappers then.
WORST ALBUM
Downloaded it to give it a listen and promptly deleted it. Retard music at its finest right here. I’d rather let Miley Cyrus sit butt naked on my face than listen to this garbage.
well said. I did not even listen to it cuz i knew it was going to be wack.
how exactly does this classify as wack? he makes club anthems and street music and been doing it successfully…so why all the hating…were you expecting some deep ass lyrical wordplay of some sort…thats not his style
i’ve dowlanded this album and i’ve listned 1 times. then….i’ve deleted it.. it is for me the wakes album of 2013
most songs sound the same 3/5 is a pretty good score for this album
Man this is garbage who listens to this shit…Stay high and fucked up while the real bosses is getting all the money laughing at your high ass
think about what you just said… Juicy J has been a boss for over 2 decades now…the man enjoys life and is getting money so please cease the hating…
At least a 3.5. Still better than Kanye’s BS and Jay Zs BS
How has this dude not overdosed yet? Seriously, 3-6 is some of the biggest junkies out there. But that “thousand” song is niiice!
Juicy J ranks right up there amongst the greatest hiphop veterans in the world like Wayne, Ross.
By the way, according to sales projections
Stay Trippy: 600k first week.
LMFAO 100k tops.
lol go rethink your life. he cant rap worth a dam, just puts out club hits
“greatest hip hop veterans like Wayne, Ross”
Huh?
For what it is, it’s actually a solid effort … I’m not sure how this whole review gets written without even a mention of how dope Gun Plus a Mask is … Sometimes it’s OK to just take Rap and Hip Hop back to “Gangster Rap” — it’s ENTERTAINMENT and that is a classic 36 Mafia track and Yelawolf goes HAM adding a whole new Rock N Roll type of dimension to it.
Juicy j went in on this joint. Smoke somethinnnn
Was actually better than I expected. HOF
Stay trippy all day!
Fuck this review…this shit is classic! Young Chop droppin’ some killa beats! 5/5
This shit weak as fuck! This ant fun music this is shit music. Fucking cancer on society music.
Review is pretty much right…but if you were expecting anything else from a Juicy J album you’re just a fool.
nice album
this is just poison for the mind. the more you listen to a dude talking about getting pussy all the time, wastin away money and smoking weed everyday, the more you believe thats socially acceptable. i guarentee you half these bum ass commercial rappers dont do half the shit they say in their songs. listen to some real music
Agree with you about the beats being repetitive. That damn mike will sound is getting old. Example Stop it sounds like a ton of 2 chainz songs & Those Juicy J & Crazy Mike produced tracks all sound the same and most monotonous.
I’m feeling generous right now ill go 6/10
even dj paul thinks is wack lol
There’s only a few actually good song.. Other than those, this sucks hard.
No idea why I kept waiting on this album.. Won’t happen again with J..
It sucks. Not worth a shit.
most of the beats are nice and about 6 of them are super dope, his flow is dope, style is crazy. the album is well mixed and sounds nice. the only thing it lacks is content, so how is it a terrible album people. or is it just that you chumps hating is some sheltered goody goodies that never get pusssy and never really even heard the whole album. clowns!
Ehhhhh
Hatin niggas, this album had too many bangers. He improved both his flow and lyrics while maintaining that goon shit!
Rating: 4/5
Best Track: “Gun Plus a Mask” ft. Yelawolf
It’s Juicy J people. Whomever decides that they’re gonna come here for some introspective shit is seriously deluded. Given the offering that Juicy gives this is about as tight as an album as he could possibly come up with. I enjoyed it. The beats weren’t monotonous (and important factor when discussing that trippy type music), and the lyrics weren’t average…the content is goonish yes but Juicy J never forgetss to offer sum’n fo the strip club…Stay Trippy Juicy J.
that ain’t what hiphop is about fool
If you actually purchased or downloaded this album you are a retard and you just follow the sheep. I bet you probably wear ur hair like them to…pathetic. Listen to their lyrics they dont even rhyme. These guys get paid millions of dollars because idiots like youse listen to them and think they have some message in thier music…you’ve been fooled – they laughing because they know this – media munipulation.
What is your point though? And, what do you listen to sir? I’m prepared for you not to answer already.
Juicy J can make better beats than ALL THOSE OTHER MUTHAFUCKAS!! Some of the hardest joints on here were produced by Juicy! Juicy’s a fuckin’ legend! Like he said, he’s been rich since the late ’80s bitch!!
shitalbum
It was better than Yeezus, I don’t to much care for juicy as a rapper, but he can rhyme and its catchy. The whole cd is catchy lol. Its so catchy he kinda went hard on it. Bad editors rating tho. A gun and plus a mask u do the math. LMAO these old niggas still trying to hold it down.. Ain’t nothing wrong with that…. Yeezus was boo boo remember that
WHat the fuck are you speaking faggot? No reason to compare this to Yeezus and/or anything Kanye West related.
GET WITH IT YOU FUCKING BUM
*gun and a mask
Lol
good job mane
I only bought 2 c.d.s of month of August. I got Asap Ferg and Juicy J. Asap Ferg was good but not better than Asap Rocky, enjoy little of it. I jam more on Juicy J. I was planning on buying Juicy J and Big Sean……Juicy J and Big Sean not selling well but I am glad I only got Juicy J cause Big Sean is whack. He need to get away from GOODS Records( Kanye West’s label) and go to Shady records cause Big Sean and Eminem from Michigan. Shit let Eminem help Big Sean’s career instead of Kanye West, I lost interest in his music since he got out of line with the whole Taylor Swift and beating up on people and changed his style. No wonder why Jay-Z didn’t see him as a rapper back in the day when he was only a producer….he making Jay-z look bad. Anyway I stop supporting Kanye West.
LOLOLLL no one is reading the novel you wrote fuckboy…no one cares what albums you are buying and or hating..its actaually GOOD music….no S at the end but good try….
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT KANYE AND JAY ON A JUICY J ALBUM REVIEW….
GTFOH FAGGOT ……NEXTTTT
^^You obviously read his “novel”.
lol fuck boi
every verse sound the same every beat sound the same and every song sound the same. So you better like his style…not my cup of tea.
fuck off then
Juice is stickin with his own style of music and its good ridin/smokin type shit…Good party records,Been a Mafia fan since When the smoke clears and I gotta say I enjoyed the new shit.If u were expecting a track with Pink or rihanna,or some some other soft ass “Deep” personal reflection pussy tracks ,then u dont know juicy j.
And that track “Gun and a Mask” is hands down best track on the album.Shit knocks in the trunk,But most of u lil kids wouldnt know about that…Listen to bullshit headphone music.
bullshit headphone music???? lol retard
Considering that Juicy J signed to Taylor Gang, WE ALL KNOW WE THOUGHT THIS ALBUM WAS GONNA BE COMMERCIAL AND CORNY SOUNDING AS FUCK! EHHH!!! WRONG!!! This album is fuckin bananas!! DX, FUCK OFF for giving this a 3! This shit has got some of the dirtiest beats I’ve heard in awhile! Like that good ole’ 3 6 Mafia shit!!
I just gotta comment again for all you fuckin morons out there. What the fuck do you expect from a Juicy J album?! Most people woulda expected that he REALLY REALLY sold out by signing to Wiz Khalifa. Those people were TOTALLY wrong. For the type of music that three 6 mafia does, this album is hard as fuck, for the most part!! For this style of rap, this album is really fuckin good! Juicy blew me away with his highly-improved flow and lyrics! He NEVER rapped this good before, and ANY Three 6 fan knows this. The beats are all bananas! I respect J even more now, because he didn’t make this album a POPPY piece of shit like everyone thought! I mean Chris Brown is RAPPING on this album. Not singing some corny shit. The track with Yelawolf is INSANITY! He fuckin KILLS IT, GOTDAMN!!! Trust me y’all. If you’re a three 6 mafia fan, you WILL dig this album. Grimy ass beats, uhhhh!!!
This sounds good in the whip. Nuff said.
still gotta defend this tight album. shit sound so nice on good speakers and the beats are crazy. alot of great songs. only songs i dont like are : money will do it, scholarship, wax and so much money cause of the weak repetitive and almost cheesy hooks and even more dumbed down content .scholarship sound like an advertisement and is pretty bad BUT your left with 14 really dope tracks. any one hating just listen to “all i blow is loud” or “if it aint” and tell me that shitt dosnt hit. production is top notch and the album is so well mixed it sounds like the future. nice to hear after all his dope mixtapes that wernt that well mixed or mastered. 4/5.
I have to say, this is ignorance at its finest. I’ve been down with 3 6, project pat and the hypnotize minds click since I was 11 or 12(’98). This album musically is the best of the year. Juicy did a great job of mixing in the old mysterious sounding 3 6 beats(smoke a nigga) along with their famous chants/ab-libs. I love this album, I ride and work out to this errday.
agreed, the end of money a do it brought back the memories of triple 6, im expecting juicy to drop some sick mixtapes also in the near future
All y’all are fuckin dumb. I only like this album out of respect. This is exactly what I expected. But the best albums of the year were definitely WOLF, YEEZUS, and DORIS. Everything else sounded similar to this or had the same subject matter. I like creative music. A lot of people just copy. Same flows same beats.
lol lol lol wolf dorris lol lol lol lol some people are crazy hell born sinner magna carta best two albms so far
you definitely a dumb kid
Really? Yeezus was the best album out the year?
Yeah nigga!!! Juicy J all day! Three 6 Mafia!
STAY TRIPPY.
dope from start to finish
I just bought this album off the strength of this video:
http://thejuicyj.com/scholarship/v/205/
sex review
shit review
love it
Good album.
Love this album