Three 6 Mafia

The last couple of years have been a roller coaster for Memphis, Tennessee's triple 6 crew, to say the least. After taking home an Oscar for Best Song ("It's Hard Out There For A Pimp"), the rappers were hit with the departure of founding member Crunchy Black. Coupled with the continued hiatus of Lord Notorious, Three 6 Mafia's roster had been whittled down to the creative duo of DJ Paul and Juicy J. But, you can't keep a good pimp down and the aptly titled Last 2 Walk is all the proof you need.

Staying true to the smooth, yet shadowy sound that has become their trademark, Last 2 Walk sees a slight return to the group's hardcore roots. "I Told Em" and "Playstation" come strong in the vocal hook department with choruses that'll have the entire club singing right along. It wouldn't be Three 6 Mafia if there wasn't some down n' dirty action going on and "I'd Rather," with lyrics we can all relate to, is just such an anthem.

So we've got the sex, now what about the drugs? "Weed, Blow, Pills" brings enough substance (pun intended) to redden the brightest of eyes. While your buzz is kicking, skip over to "First 48" and its tripped-out, swirling piano track. If this avant-garde, shot to the cerebellum isn't your bag, then the pop-injected jam "Lolli-Lolli – Pop Dat Body" is a safe bet.

Once again, Three 6 Mafia has dropped an album full of potential hits full of energetic beats and hood-born braggadocio. The inclusion of several notable guest stars, which include the likes of Akon, Lyfe Jennings, Project Pat and Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte (who bring their tuneful brand of melody to "My Own Way") add weight to this already memorable album. There are a few times on the disc where DJ Paul and Juicy J are guilty of sticking with a good idea too long instead of expanding upon it, but if the intent is to drill the tunes into your skull, then mission accomplished.

–Ryan Ogle
08.06.08

With a multi-platinum previous album, a remarkable Academy Award win for the Hustle & Flow soundtrack, a once six-piece crew now shrunk down to a duo, plus a street date pushed back for more than a year, Three 6 Mafia's ninth official album, Last 2 Walk, went through a difficult birthing process. It also could have been "highly anticipated" if it weren't for leadoff single "I'd Rather" knocking expectations down a peg. Put the odd and very MTV-friendly choice of Good Charlotte on the guest list and things began to look grim and embarrassingly forced, but Last 2 Walk features enough of the group's original gutter stance and scrappy attitude to reclaim fans, at least ones who remember the good old days when minimal, pounding hooks and one thug track after another were more important than crossover potential or cohesive albums. Sure, the very good Lyfe Jennings collaboration "Hood Star" has polish and the Akon appearance is a platinum move, but there's a scrappy charm to a Three 6 Mafia album that puts so much of its raw and ragged baller music up front. And plenty of appearances from longtime friend Project Pat help to reinforce the "back to our roots" attitude. Remaining members DJ Paul and Juicy J stay true to the "Intro"'s promise of "giving you some bump!" with the intense numbers like "Trap Boom" and the cold "Corner Man," plus "On Some Chrome" -- which features UGK and one of the last performances from the late Pimp C. "Lolli Lolli" is the best mix of slick and syrup-sipping in a "Stay Fly" manner, and there's enough creativity and humor in the skits to make them worthwhile. Still, redundancy, a no-flow track list, and half-baked ideas like the tedious "Playstation" ("Don't play with me boy/Play with your Playstation" over and over and over) drag the album down, and the absence of the recent singles "Doe Boy Fresh," "Like Money," and "Suga Daddy" -- all originally promised for this album -- are clues that this isn't the full-length Three 6 originally planned. There's no evidence Three 6 had a fully formed Most Known Unknown-styled album in them either, so consider the uneven Last 2 Walk a fair and necessary placeholder effort with a bit of "back to basics" thrown in to satisfy the faithful. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide