"They won't leave my ass alone!" Bun B and Pimp C’s debut album as UGK includes several tracks from their debut cassette The Southern Way which earned them a deal with Jive Records. You can hear them finding their footing, both lyrically and production-wise, but the duo’s signature attitude and charisma are fully intact on “I’m So Bad,” “Use Me Up” and “Pocket Full Of Stones,” still a major standout in UGK’s vast catalog. Released when Houston boasted a large underground scene but faced great mainstream odds, with the Geto Boys being the only act to have successfully broken out in a national scene that was overwhelmingly focused on acts from the east and west coasts, the group garnered some nationwide attention with the inclusion of “Pocket Full Of Stones” on the Menace II Society soundtrack. Still, it wasn’t until they stole the show on Jay-Z’s Timbaland-produced “Big Pimpin” 8 years later that the Underground Kingz would become household names. After bringing us deluxe reissues of Ridin’ Dirty and Super Tight, Get On Down present Too Hard To Swallow on clear double vinyl for the first time (a promo-only single LP version was distributed to radio stations in limited quantities) to celebrate the album’s 25th anniversary. Rest in peace Pimp C!

• 25th anniversary edition
• clear colored double vinyl pressing
• first time on vinyl
• limited edition
• original release year: 1992
• music label: Get On Down 2017

reviewed by mayor of hounslow 06/2017