Artist: Trick DaddyTitle: Back By Thug DemandRating: 4 StarsReviewed by: Slav Kandyba
While it is generally not a good idea to judge a book by its cover, there’s no better way to judge Trick Daddy’s seventh album than by its title. Back by Thug Demand has all the musical and topical ingredients that will please any thug music aficionados: thumping, bassy beats to lyrics that glorify, well, thug living. Within its sub-genre, Trick’s latest effort is an example for others to follow.
What glues everything together in Trick’s formula is club-ready production and effective collaborations with the hottest names in the game at the right time. On Back by Thug Demand, Chamillionaire (“Bet That”), Young Buck (“Straight Up”), Trina (“Tonight”) and even crooners Trey Songz and Jaheim give genuine effort and don’t half-step. It doesn’t hurt that their chemistry with Trick is impeccable and enlisted producers The Runners, Gold Rush, Kane Beatz, Mannie Fresh and Gorilla Tek know the right buttons to push to make heads sway and bodies grind.
While The Runners-produced “Breaka, Breaka” sound too similar to their work on Rick Ross’ “Hustlin’,” Trick’s baritone vocals fill the track out nicely as he reminds he’s still the king of Miami-Dade. On the aforementioned, Gold Rush-produced collaboration with Young Buck, “Straight Up,” Trick and the G-Unit South leader create one of the more believable “this-is-how-thugs-live” tracks since Pac was still alive. The album’s most poignant track is the moving “You Damn Right,” featuring Trick proteges The Dunk Ryders and Skky. To be endeared by any lover of uplifting R&B music, the Gold Rush-produced song features silky vocals courtesy of Skky and an even slicker bassline laced with heart-touching strings.
Back by Thug Demand is a solid work, but one has to look it from a perspective of its intended audience to really appreciate its greatness. While backpackers aren’t likely to blast it out of their iPods, Trick’s latest has more than enough to get endless spins in dropped Chevys from coast to coast. It’s simply quality thug music.