Pimp C, “The Naked Soul Of Sweet James Jones”

Underground King Pimp C hasn't let death stop him from releasing his latest solo effort, The Naked Soul of Sweet James Jones.

The posthumous album marks Pimp C’s first solo album, and the last project he worked on before his untimely death.

When UGK legend Pimp C a/k/a Chad Butler left the planet on December 4, 2007 his final work was in its infantile stages. Pimp C was a recording machine, dropping verses on a dime and practically living in the studio. The Naked Soul of Sweet James Jones, believed to be a follow-up to 2005’s Sweet James Jones Stories, probably sounds little like what Pimp would have crafted himself. However, the naked soul of Sweet James Jones is still very much present, which makes Pimp’s final offering a built-in classic in its own right. (HipHopDX)

The guest appearances on the album read like a list of hip-hop’s best of the flyest & “trill-est” artists.

The new album features an all-star lineup of Hip-Hop artists like founding UGK group member Bun B., Trill label mates Webbie & Lil Boosie, E-40 , Drake, Chamillionaire, Too $hort, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and others. (AllHipHop)

As expected, Pimp C relied heavily on Rap-A-Lot beatsmiths to assist with his soul -searching.

That 13 tracks opus is made with materials Chad was recording just before his death and it never looks like a puzzled album. The whole record sounds like Pimp was behind the board instead the large amount of features needed to complete a full Lp. Productions come from his own team (Cory Mo, Steve Below, DJ B-Do) so it sounds right! (webringjustice)

The lead single, “What Up”, features Drake and Pimp C’s former UGK brother, Bun B.

This song leaked a while back on the Internet. Bun B is rapping as hard as ever with Pimp C matching the verses. It feels like a UGK track all over again. Drake is in on the action, doing his sing-songy rapping, while referring to himself as an “honorary resident of UGK town.” Considering Drake was also on Bun B’s ‘Trill O.G.,’ that may very well be true. (TheBoombox)

Although popular scribes such as HipHopDX were sweet on Jones’ soul, others felt that the album may have struck a sour note.

On that December day we were also robbed of the chance to ever truly hear a Pimp C solo album. Incredibly, despite nearly two decades of making music, Pimp was constantly thwarted in his plans to create his individual opus. His first two “solo” albums, Sweet James Jones Stories and Pimpilation, were essentially collections of unreleased material which dropped during his incarceration, and he took his last breath well before he finished the now posthumous, The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones. Considering the lag between his death and its release, it’s more accurate to think of Sweet Jones as an unofficial tribute album than an official solo album. Despite Bun B’s commitment to staying true to Pimp’s wishes, it’s simply impossible to say this is the album he would have made had he lived. (DJ Booth)

The lushly-produced “Midnight” comes courtesy of David Banner and features Rick Ross and Slim Thug. The string dominated track is exceptional, but it seems slightly out of place on the album. “Hit The Parking Lot” is heavy on the synthesized bass and features Webbie and Lil Boosie and seems destined to be the official parking lot pimpin’ song as guys play the let-out at clubs all across the country. The album closes out with “Massacre” which features a verse from Pimp C, followed by his traditional brand of brash shit talking directed at someone who remains unnamed, because apparently they “like to sue niggas and shit.” (RapReviews)

The Naked Soul of Sweet James Jones‘ Score: Hip HopDX: 4.5/5 RapReviews: 6/10

DJBooth: 3.5/5

To purchase The Naked Soul Of Sweet James Jones, just click here.

Check out songs from the album below: