Mixerr Album Reviews #2,320

Shawty Pimp - Da Substance is an amazing album with some of the hardest beats from 1996. The album has a jazzy feel reminiscent in tune to Quincy Jones. That makes sense as this Shawty Pimp album relies heavily on samples of Quincy Jones songs. That is where the jazz comes from. Shawty Pimp - Da Substance was much different than any of the Memphis rap albums out there as this album relied more on jazz than crunk or trap music. Shawty Pimp has a lot of gems such as Trapped Inside, Only A State Of Mind, You Know What I Mean?, and Scale of Reality. This album stands out from the typical dark M-Town sound. This is prolific conscious hip hop.


Trapped Inside is about being trapped in the world and not being able to escape your problems. You seek for help and answers but can’t to find anything to remedy your needs. Trapped Inside is one of those songs that really makes you think as this song goes into perspective. This is pretty deep. Especially for Memphis rap. The song is known for its memorable hook and chorus. “Trapped inside/Trapped inside my mind/The world got me going blind”

Trapped Inside samples Quincy Jones - Tell Me a Bedtime Story and Gene Harris - Peace of Mind. That is where the jazziness of this came from. The song also uses East Coast style boom bap beats.

Shawty Pimp is looking for help and is looking for answers. He gets frustrated when he can’t help himself or is unable to. He needs advice and answers as his life is dim. He is getting drowsy. Calling for The Lord is what he does. He is questioning the message The Lord sent him. Feeling low as the pain is so rough. Shawty Pimp needs some rest. Hearing his conscience speaking tough. So he digs deeper. Develop on the positive side. Shawty Pimp is trapped inside his mind. The world has got him going blind.

Shawty Pimp must protect himself as he cannot depend on police to protect him. He sees a murder. The murder is a mystery which remains unsolved yet it is physical and visible. The murder was unprovoked. Just a random act of violence.

Is it worth what we live for? That is his biggest question he wonders. We need more than one person who runs the nation.

Never will he wake up shaken in a coma. The aroma in the room is hot due to the marijuana he smoked last night. This results in him having high blood pressure. All he is seeing is a bunch of motherfuckers around him. There is no answer to his future. Going blind on erb. All of the sudden he wakes up because he was dreaming.


You Know What I Mean? uses a beautiful medley of G-Funk Memphis styled crunk music with that Down South rap style. A tinge of New Orleans styled bounce music is used within the beats. The song takes us through and explains Shawty Pimp’s perspective on life with the things he has seen.

Nobody can walk where Shawty Pimp has walked. Nobody can see the things he has seen. Or see what he sees. Thangs is different, mane. You know what I mean? Shawty Pimp explains his perspective on life based on the things he has seen. He has gone through so much. He is out there. Nobody can walk where he walked. Nobody can see the things he has seen.


Scale of Reality uses a huge punch of reality rap over some heavy street savvy freestyle rap. Scale of Reality is also as "Mad Versatality" on Da Substance tape. Shawty Pimp recorded Scale of Reality on the date of 5/25/1996.

Shawty Pimp balances the scales of reality with his reality rap and street savvy freestyle rap. He’s got the mad versatility. His raps have come back new and improved. He’s got his pens, his papers, and smoke vapors. Writing rhymes from the inside is what he does. Niggas want to step up to him and flex as they’ve got plex. Some niggas want to tick like a timex watch. When he comes around them same hoes are afraid to flex. Maybe it’s because Shawty Pimp knocks hoes out like white folks be knockin’ Haitians. He booms from Tennessee to the Appalachian Mountains. That lets you know he comes realer than most.

His reefer erb is essential. So take notes. Your click ain’t tight with that rapping fast shit. So you rappers better take notes. Pick up your pen like Paul McCartney. Niggas be coming up from nobodies to John Gotti’s. Shit be real from the south. His lyrics cause pain in your membrane.

I rate this album 5/5*****!!