Trick Daddy Book Of Thugs: Chapter A.K., Versus 47 CD

Parental Advisory

Personnel includes: Trick Daddy, The Lost Tribe, JV, IZM, Tre+6, Society, Mystikal, Twista, Buddy Roe.
Audio Mixer: Mr. Seay.
Recording information: 4 Star Recording Studio.
Director: Alan Lewis.
Trick Daddy takes his career to the next level on Book of Thugs: Chapter AK Verse 47, moving to a major label, Atlantic, and delivering his first coast-to-coast hit, "Shut Up." His previous two releases, Based on a True Story (1997) and www.thug.com (1998), had established him as one of the Dirty South's most promising rappers, particularly after "Nann Nigga" became an underground hit, but these gritty releases never crossed the Mason-Dixon Line nor the Mississippi River. On the contrary, Book of Thugs burst out of the South, thanks largely to the financial backing of Atlantic. For the first time in his career, Trick Daddy had a sizable budget to work with, and the results are wonderfully evident. Both the beats and the vocals sound incredibly vibrant, on a par with anything coming out of New York or Los Angeles at the time; furthermore, two big-name guests, Mystikal and Twista, make notable appearances, finally giving Trick Daddy some impressive talent with which to tangle. Above all though, Book of Thugs boasts "Shut Up," his rowdiest club-banger yet, also notable for reprising the dynamic Trick Daddy-Trina collaboration that had made "Nann Nigga" such a success two years earlier. Elsewhere, Book of Thugs features a few other highlights ("Boy," "Get on Up," "Thug for Life"), but it's by no means a solid album. The excessive guests are a bit frustrating, tempting you to fast forward through lackluster verses far too many times, and the production of Righteous Funk Boogie and Black Mob Group is spotty, sounding less impressive as the album creeps toward its distant end. Book of Thugs nonetheless raised the bar for Trick Daddy, elevating him to national status and setting the stage for his commercial breakthrough. ~ Jason Birchmeier
When Trick Daddy emerged onto the hip-hop scene in the late '90s with his slurred rhymes and thugged-out lyrical content, Miami became one of the hottest spots for rap music. His smash hit single, "Nann," from his debut album, WWW.THUG.COM, turned the independent artist into a major star. His follow-up effort, BOOK OF THUGS, only managed to further advance his star. The underground jam "Shut Up" is straight-up Trick Daddy material, a cut that will have fans chanting its chorus over and over again. Trick even offers a surprise to his listeners this time around with the mid-tempo "America," in which the MC shows that thugs like him think about their country as much as they think about partying.

Rolling Stone (3/30/00, p.68) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...[It] delivers up-tempo rump shakers and rugged-yet-refined bounce tracks....[His] ability to expose his soft side without losing his hard edge is what distinguishes him from his contemporaries."
Spin (4/00, pp.191-2) - 6 out of 10 - "...Daddy comes with beats harder hitting and more textural than most Miami wig-outs, rapping with authoritative detail about the down and desperate of Liberty City....if Miami need roughneck redemption, this should more than win it."
Vibe (3/00, pp.201-2) - "...packs an improved, more confident rhyme style and production that's both innovative and ear-catching....Trick Daddy's ability to fuse his southern sound foundation with musical elements more often associated with other regions...makes [this album] sparkle..."
The Source (3/00, pp.244-6) - 3.5 mics out of 5 - "...Nearly every MC on BOOK OF THUGS comes off....complimenting the staggering Swizz Beatz-like production....[Trick Daddy] continues to add classic chapters to the book of Miami rap."