Slip N Slide Society, part 2

Ok, so in part 1 I talked about how Society was signed to Slip-N-Slide, who ultimately sat on his album and never put out any of his music. But he wasn't left with absolutely nothing to show for his years spent at the label... almost nothing, certainly; but not absolutely nothing. He did manage to land three guest spots on Trick Daddy records, two of which were released on 12".

The first Trick Daddy/ Society collaboration to be released was on the B-side to his hit single "Nann" - or "Nann Nigga" as the original, radio unfriendly version was called - his colorful duet with Trina. First a few notes about this 12" - like you see in my labelscan, everyone of these 12""s has that word after "Trina" covered up with black marker. That's because it's crosing out the word "dirty" (after scanning it, I took a little solvent to the label and can now make it out) and the first track is in fact the clean version. So they're all that way; that's the way they shipped from the label. Also, you want to be sure to get the original "Nann" 12", not the "Nann (Remix)" 12", which doesn't include the Society track.

Ok, so that out of the way, let's get to that B-side. It's called "Living In a World," and like the A-side, was also included on Trick's 1998 album, www.thug.com. It's produced by Rush and you can tell it's his obligatory "message" song, because it features a sappy hook by a children's choir, credited only as The Children's Choir, that goes, "Living in a world where hearts are cold, yeah yay, ya'll/ Livin' in a city where thugs don't live that long, so/ Sleepin' in a home where only gangstas roam, all nite long; and I'm/ Thuggin' there for days wit my G's and we pray... 'help us, Lawd!'" The instrumental is well done, though, with some varying elements that even switches up for Society's verse. Speaking of Society's verse, he obviously outshines Trick on his own track, but Trick Daddy's verse is respectable and sincere. But Society manages to bring those elements as well as a much tighter flow and more compelling, rapid-fire wordplay for a killer verse that defines the phrase "next level:"

"Never confuse love and lust;
Retailate bust for bust.
You can trust in us; we spit that venomous.
It's either them or us, ash to ash, sell the dust;
We go to war for the peace, ignore the police.
I still believe that it's the East that invented...
See, the West complemented; they always represent it.
And all my peoples down South keeps it weed-scented!
Better focus when I put this hocus pocus on the CD;
I drop mine in braile so them blind cats can read me.
I'm the cat that curiosity killed. Prophecy filled.
I'm still waters that run deeper than hoe pussy.
Get pushy in the clutch, roll up like dutch mastas;
I cuts and slashes, plus I flows like Casius.
It's warless clashes; you need credit in the last days.
So when them gats spray, do crime pay, when you get shot?
That's why I stay calm[/com] like w w w dot. CD
For who seeks the actual... article;
You heard it live; it's certified, mechanic on the mother ship,
The alien. I changed the course of them with the wings;
I would love to be considered sin in the physical form,
Like I'm born to be crucified, and mother was born to cry.
Taught: bitches born to live long and bastards are born to die,
And God and the devil just don't see eye to eye.
'Cause ya'll thugs don't understand that this devil gone always lie."

That's the kind of verse that just screams, "put my album out!" And he sounds damn nice over the track. Unfortunately, you only get Clean and Dirty versions of this song, as the bulk of the 12" is full of "Nann" versions.

Three years later, Society was still chillin' on the Slip-N-Slide roster when Trick Daddy released his next album, Thugs Are Us. This time, Trick released his message song (yes, with another chorus by The Children's Choir, although this time they go uncredited) as the advance single, complete with a big budget video and the whole nine. Titled "Amerika" on the album, but retitled to the more politically correct "America" for the single, this song's instrumental, produced by the daringly named Righteous Funk Boogie (who produced a lot for Trick Daddy, including the aforementioned hit "Nann"), is very reminiscent of "Living In a World." Nobody says so, but this is clearly meant to be some kind of remake or sequel to "Living In a World." Trick Daddy ups his game alittle here, with a tighter rhyme scheme and a direct message to the president. But while Society still delivers a solid verse, he definitely doesn't come off as impressively as the first. He brings a more direct, and angry, message... but (in a way, possibly, to his credit) doesn't show off his skills here. And the fact that Trick wraps things up with another verse of his own at the end, this time. I suspect there was a concious effort by all parties involved not to let Trick Daddy be outshined again here, on his "important" single.

On the plus side, you do get the Acapella and Instrumental, along with the Clean and Dirty versions on this 12". And you also get those four versions of Trick's posse cut "Get On Up," featuring The Lost Tribe, Money Mark of Tre +6 and JV on the B-side.

Unfortunately, the last collabo - "The Hotness" - never made it onto a 12"; it's just another Thugs are Us album track. This is a nice, freestyle track where both just flex their freestyles and bragging skills over a dope, east coast sounding beat produced by Black Mob Group. Trick even seems to have dropped his Southern drawl for this one - at first I thought he gave Society a solo joint on his album as a little showcase. Well, on closer listening, there's clearly two MCs; but I'm really not convinced that other MC on the track is actualy Trick Daddy, and not some unnamed other contributer. The hook features someone doing a screaming DJ shouting everyone out, which is a little annoying but sets the tone perfectly for what they're going for. The drums are even repeatedly scratched in. Both MC's take turns passing the mic back and forth... lyrically, it's nothing monsterous, but just fun, Boot Camp Clik-sounding freestyle rhymes like, "we're worldwide without the web/ Grateful without the dead/ Juicy without the fruit... or the loops/ For the troops/ I kick the ill titantic flow/ Society, the black DiCaprio/With one more year to go/ The hot shit 'bout to blow!"

Anyway, all three tracks are definitely worth checking for, even if you're the type to ordinarily hate Trick Daddy with a passion (IMO, he's really not that bad; but that's a whole other series of blog posts - haha). Society displays talents and skills possibly even in advance of his earlier work, so it's a shame that "the right people" didn't take notice of him here and give him his shine. Oh well. At least Trick Daddy vinyl is cheap and plentiful, so you can pick these up on a whim and at least enjoy a little more quality Society.