Direct from the streets of Miami's Liberty City comes the return of His Royal Thugness, Trick Daddy, and his new nonfiction sonic opus, "THUGS ARE US." Rolling up on the heels of last year's hit "BOOK OF THUGS CHAPTER A.K., VERSE 47," Trick brings true thug philosophy to a fourth full-length album filled with all-new turbulent tales of Southern style street life. With his baggy jeans, gold teeth, and ghetto slang, the mercurial Trick breathes reality into no-holds-barred rhymes, relating the details of his dynamic and dramatic day-to-day on such tracks as the anthemic, cool jamming "I'm A Thug," the funky "N WORD," and the slow "Where U From' The Drought." At the same time, he brings his musical artistry to bear on such powerful, high energy "THUGS ARE US" tracks as the "Take It To Da House" party platter and the hyper-drive sex record, "For All My Ladies," featuring a special guest turn from the one-and-only Trina.
According to Trick, his musical mission is clear: "I want everybody to understand me. I don't want people to get aggravated or disgusted with something that I might say, because that's the way that I was brought up."
Along with a hit team of renowned production whizzes - including Righteous Funk Boogie, Jim Joinson, Roc, Saint Benson, The Committee, Styles, Mr. Charlie, Black Mob, and J-Roc - "THUGS ARE US" finds TD partnering with such all-pro talents as Kase & Duece Poppi ("Pull Over Remix"), Society ("Amerika"), and Tre 6 & Duece Poppi ("N Word"). With added guest turns from the likes J.V., Money Mark, Migrane, and the all-star Slip-N-Slide Express, the hip hop maestro's effort results in a collection of tracks that paint modern thug-dom in a more textured and incontestably real light than that of any top-tagging graffiti artist. As Trick so succinctly explains, "Being a thug is being in control, having your own mind, and doing what you want to do."
Acknowledging his role as a bona fide kingpin thug, Trick also reaches out to those young thugs, still struggling to simply get by. Reflecting on the album's introduction in particular, he states, "I want them to understand that God is for the thugs, too. That's the only thing that I knew, it's the only thing that I represent for life."
Bald-headed and buck wild, the former Trick Daddy Dollars first hit the music scene as one of the lead rappers on Luke's 1996 track, "Scarred." In the fall of 1997 came his solo debut album "BASED ON A TRUE STORY," a stand-out introduction highlighted by such cuts as "They Don't Live Long" and "Bout a Lotta Thangs." Powered by hardcore autobiographical themes direct from the streets - not to mention support from local radio and video outlets - the soon-to-be-re-issued album fast went on to become the hottest disc in the Southeast and Slip N Slide's first big story.
Hardly pausing to rest, Trick Daddy returned in 1998 with "WWW.THUG.COM," an album that blazed a trail through the Billboard top 10 R&B chart on its way to RIAA gold. Filled with raw, non-fiction rhymes, the set stood out on the strength of its hit singles, "Sweatin' Me" and the breakthrough "Nann." The undeniable achievement of "Nann" effectively underscored the unflagging ability of the streets to choose its hits while shining the spotlight on the spirited lyrical skills of Trick's new Slip-N-Slide comrade, Trina.
In January of 2000, Trick led the way for Slip N Slide's most high profile soundtrack appearance to date, teaming up with Trina, Deuce Poppito of 24KARATZ, and Co of Tre 6 on "Shut Up," his remarkable contribution to the hit Warner Sunset/Atlantic Records Any Given Sunday album (a track also heard on "WWW.THUG.COM"). The ever-prolific Trick Daddy then definitively made his mark on 2000 with "BOOK OF THUGS CHAPTER A.K., VERSE 47," an album that grabbed RIAA gold status in three short months. For 2001, when it comes to telling it straight - live and uncensored from the streets - "THUGS ARE US" is the definitive source.
