Underground Kingz

Last updated

Underground Kingz
UGK(Underground Kingz).JPG
Studio album by
UGK
ReleasedAugust 7, 2007
Genre
Length
  • 60:59 (disc one)
  • 68:02 (disc two)
  • 1:29:01 (combined)
Label
Producer
UGK chronology
Side Hustles
(2002)
Underground Kingz
(2007)
UGK 4 Life
(2009)
Singles from Underground Kingz
  1. "The Game Belongs to Me"
    Released: 2006
  2. "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)"
    Released: June 6, 2007
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [2]
Houston Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
RapReviews(10/10) [4]
The New York Times (favorable) [5]
Pitchfork Media (8.4/10) [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Stylus Magazine B+ [8]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [9]
XXL Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg (XL) [10]

Underground Kingz is the fifth studio album by American hip-hop duo UGK. The album was released on August 7, 2007, by Pimp C's UGK Records, Jive Records, and Zomba Label Group. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Lil Jon, Jazze Pha, Swizz Beatz, DJ Paul and Pimp C himself. The album also features guest appearances from T.I., Talib Kweli, Rick Ross, Big Daddy Kane, Slim Thug, Too Short, Charlie Wilson, Outkast, Three 6 Mafia, and many more.

Contents

Underground Kingz was supported by two singles: "The Game Belongs to Me" and "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)". The album received positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 160,000 copies in its first week. [11] The album was also Pimp C's final performance before his death on December 4, 2007, in Los Angeles, California, four months after the album's release.

Singles

The first single was "The Game Belongs To Me", produced by AVEREXX. The second single was "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" featuring OutKast, and the video was released on 106 & Park , June 16, 2007. The track is a remix of "Players Anthem" featuring Three 6 Mafia. The video was awarded Video of the Year at the 2008 annual BET Hip-Hop Awards. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. This song was number 10 on Rolling Stone 's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, and reached number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it their only song to chart there.

Pitchfork Media 's "Top 500 songs of the 2000s" listed the song at number 43. [12] It was their first album since Pimp C had finished serving a lengthy prison term. [13]

Commercial performance

Underground Kingz debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 160,000 copies in its first week. [11] This became UGK's first US number one debut. [11] As of March 2009, the album has sold 458,000 copies in the United States. [14]

Track listing

Credits adapted from liner notes. [15]

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Swishas and Dosha"
5:11
2."Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" (featuring Outkast)4:19
3."Chrome Plated Woman"
Pimp C4:17
4."Life Is 2009" (featuring Too $hort)
  • Scarface
  • Randy "Big Tyme" Jefferson (add.)
4:07
5."The Game Belongs to Me"
5:14
6."Like That (Remix)"
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Below
  • A. Harris
  • Below
  • Pimp C (co.)
3:50
7."Gravy"
  • AVEREXX
  • Pimp C (co.)
4:57
8."Underground Kingz"
  • Butler
  • Freeman
Pimp C4:33
9."Grind Hard" (featuring Young T.O.E. and DJ B-Do)
4:03
10."Take tha Hood Back" (featuring Slim Thug, Vicious and Middle Fingaz)
The Runners 5:36
11."Quit Hatin' the South" (featuring Charlie Wilson and Willie D)Pimp C6:06
12."Heaven"
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • J. Johnson
  • Pimp C
  • N.O. Joe
4:20
13."Trill Niggas Don't Die" (featuring Z-Ro)
  • John Bido
  • Yung Fyngas
  • Joe Traxx
  • Pimp C (co.)
4:27
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."How Long Can It Last" (featuring Charlie Wilson)
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Albert Hudson
  • Cuba Gregory
  • Al Perkins
Pimp C6:47
2."Still Ridin' Dirty" (featuring Scarface)
Scarface5:19
3."Stop-N-Go" (featuring Jazze Pha)
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Alexander
  • Abeeku Ribeiro
  • Antonio Sawyer
Jazze Pha 3:54
4."Cocaine" (featuring Rick Ross)
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Winston Thomas
  • Thomas Simmons
  • Danny Shofield
  • Joseph Johnson
  • William Roberts
  • The BlackOut Movement
  • Pimp C (co.)
  • N.O. Joe (co.)
4:50
5."Two Type of Bitches" (featuring Dizzee Rascal and Pimpin' Ken)
  • MoMo
  • Pimp C (co.)
4:56
6."Real Women" (featuring Talib Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn)Pimp C4:32
7."Candy"
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Jordan
  • Jefferson
  • Tekai Hicks
  • Eric Paul
  • Scarface
  • Randy "Bigg Tyme" Jefferson (co.)
3:30
8."Tell Me How Ya Feel"
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Alexander
  • Zachary Wallace
Jazze Pha4:25
9."Shattered Dreams" (featuring Sleepy Brown)
Pimp C5:14
10."Like That"
Lil Jon 2:47
11."Next Up" (featuring Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap) Marley Marl 3:03
12."Living This Life"
  • N.O. Joe
  • Joe Scorsese
5:07
13."Outro"
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Cory Moore
Cory Mo0:49
14."Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" (featuring Three 6 Mafia) (Chopped and Screwed by OG Ron C) (bonus track)
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Houston
  • Beauregard
  • Hutch
  • DJ Paul
  • Juicy J
5:31
15."Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" (featuring Three 6 Mafia) (bonus track)
  • Butler
  • Freeman
  • Houston
  • Beauregard
  • Hutch
  • DJ Paul
  • Juicy J
3:20
16."Hit the Block" (featuring T.I.) (bonus track) Swizz Beatz 3:58
Best Buy bonus track
No.TitleLength
17."Top Drop Dyne" (featuring Cory Mo)4:06
Samples

Chart positions

References

  1. Jeffries, David (August 7, 2007). "Underground Kingz - UGK". AllMusic. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  2. Schonberger, Chris (August 3, 2007). "Underground Kingz Review". EW.com. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  3. "The latest by UGK puts duo in rapper royalty". Chron.com. August 8, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  4. "Feature for August 7, 2007 - UGK's "Underground Kingz"". Rapreviews.com. August 7, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  5. Sanneh, Kelefa (August 7, 2007). "Pimp C - Bun B - UGK - Music - New York Times". The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 29, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  6. "Underground Kingz". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  7. "UGK (Underground Kingz) : Underground Kingz". Rolling Stone . August 1, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  8. "UGK - Underground Kings - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  9. "This week's reviews: UGK, Kat, Jonas, Zap, Grace, Emerson & Constantine - Listen Up". USA Today. August 6, 2007. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  10. "UGK Underground Kingz". Xxlmag.com. January 30, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Katie Hasty (August 15, 2007). "After Five-Year Absence, UGK Scores First No. 1 Album". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  12. "UGK Score First #1 Album". September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  13. "Bun B Talks About the Final UGK Album". Pitchfork. March 13, 2009. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  14. Mariel Concepcion (March 23, 2009). "Bun B Memorializes Pimp C With Final UGK Album". Billboard . Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  15. UGK - Underground Kingz. UGK Records/Jive/Zomba Label Group. 88697-08863-2B
  16. "UGK Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  17. "UGK Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
  18. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  19. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2020.