Review by Loose Cannonz

DJ Ideal/Bun B - Da Bottom Vol. 4

With his UGK partner Pimp C up in the pen, it's up to Bun B to hold down the fort. Raw lyrics, riding beats, the only way these Underground Kingz can do it. The first track exposes Bun B's crew The Mddlfngz on "Show Ya Gat Fool," with the debut No Apologies out June 5th. While that joint is lacking, Bun B grinds out to the garage band-encouraged "Hold Up" alongside Stat Quo (who "Jacks For Beatz" in an impressive ditty later on) and Chamillionaire (who talks that talk with David Banner after as well), the tipsy-toed Pitbull collab "Stay In Ya Place", and the electric riffs of "Dirty States" should garner some positive attention, even with shit rhymes from some of the MF: "I got grenades, you got boxin' gloves on"… Unlike some of the Southern tapes that have dropped lately, the majority of Vol. 4-at least to East and West Coast heads-is new shit. DJ Ideal (who hardly speaks on the tape mind you) makes sure the cats you wanna check for are present: Lil Flip, Pitbull, Lil Wayne, Slim Thug, Young Jeezy. They all appear on several joints throughout. Pit exposes his breathless multi-syllabic skill on Lil Jon's epic "Get Crunk"; wants no part as a slave to this game when riding chiming bells and obscure Pac Man noises on "Fuck the Industry," which flips to a drearier bassline halfway through, then finally picks up with a violin section toward the end; yet finally the horn-tooting popular single "Dammit Man" is remixed alongside New Orleans' Wayne and Houston's Flip. Later, Lil Weezy joins the Birdman on the ride-thru-the-French-Quo-at-night jawn, "Neck of the Woods," and Lil Flip joins Young Buck and Smitty on the double-timed exclusive "We Gon Ride," proceeds to ride Dipset instrumentals on his freestyle (the best down south to do it!), and pops off on dope "Lord You Know." Believe it or not, Dirtbag's "My Heaven" could be the mixtape's gem. Production's bananas, folk. At last, Slim Thug's "So Incredible Remix" laced by Jazze Pha and the amazing Kanye West-delivered "So Lost" has hip-hop heads nationwide craving for the debut. I could've done without the mediocre unsigned hype at the end, and a few of these joints is as old as ya girl's panties (Young Jeezy's "Trap or Die," C-Murder's "My Life"), but if u ain't got nothin' from this joint, it's a straight ride the whole way through.

RATING SYSTEM
	Trash
	Step Ya Game Up
	Diehards only
	In the Deck
	Straight Crack
	Among Year's Best
	Mixtape Classic