DJ Paul Scale-A-Ton CD

Recording information: Los Angeles, CA; Scale-A-Ton Studios, Memphis, TN.
While DJ Paul was a legend of the Memphis rap scene by the early-1990s for both his mixtape work and as prime mover for the eventual Oscar winners Three 6 Mafia, he didn't have a full-scale solo release until 2009. SCALE-A-TON features the dark, chorus-heavy, crunk-plus anthems T6M made famous, and many of the cliques' stars do drop in, Lord Infamous most effectively on opening single "You On't Wan It." However, SCALE-A-TON is ultimately Paul's affair and while the club anthems abound, there's more of a horror spirit on this animated debut.
Like his fellow Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J, rapper/producer DJ Paul gets back to solo career just about every seven years. Even so, his 2009 effort Scale-A-Ton picks up right where 2002's Underground 16 left off, returning Paul to his horror-show vision of Memphis rap and ignoring the more polished sound Three 6 had been pursuing. That's great news for old-school fans, the kind who will also appreciate the return of Paul's brother Lord Infamous, who lands on eight of the tracks here. Best of their collaborations is the minimal club cut "Jook," which rocks back and forth with a ridiculously infectious synth hook, but Infamous is welcome on all his cuts, which also happen to be the sleaziest numbers. Still, Scale-A-Ton is firmly Paul's, as he goes it alone on the killer trilogy of "Stay wit Me" (a bitter betrayal song for gossip hounds), "Jus Like Dat???" (typical DJ Paul swagger track with "Got a pet cemetery in my closet/So many minks they don't think that I bought it"), and "I Spoils" (a creeping, ominous, and instant classic). A bit overstuffed at 20 tracks, but anyone looking for the Three 6/Hypnotize Minds sound at its most primal will be well served by this sour brute of an album. ~ David Jeffries