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UGK Too Hard to Swallow CD Album Jive 1992 Jewel Case- Brand New Sealed CopyBrand New · Buy It Now$62.00
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“Too Hard to Swallow” is the debut studio album by UGK, released on November 10, 1992, through Jive Records.
The story
UGK, short for Underground Kingz, formed in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1987 around Chad “Pimp C” Butler and Mitchell “Big Mitch” Queen. When Big Mitch left to pursue football, Bernard “Bun B” Freeman stepped in, and the duo of Pimp C and Bun B took shape. Recorded in 1991 and 1992 with Russell Washington as executive producer, this was the group’s first major-label album. The name reflected their belief that their country-inflected slang and delivery would be too regional for mainstream audiences.
Sound and production
Production is credited to UGK with Bernie Bismark and Shetoro Henderson. The album leans heavily on classic soul and funk, sampling the Isley Brothers three times along with Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield and Rufus, and it even borrows from fellow Texans the Geto Boys. Key tracks include “Something Good,” “Use Me Up” and “Pocket Full of Stones,” and Infinity appears as a guest. The twelve tracks, including a bonus remix, run close to an hour.
Legacy
The album reached No. 37 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 14 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. “Pocket Full of Stones” gained wider exposure the following year on the soundtrack to “Menace II Society.” Later reviews have been generous, with RapReviews awarding it a perfect score, and the record stands as the starting point for one of the most influential duos in Southern rap.
Tracklist & credits
Produced by Russell Washington
- 1Something Good (Extended Version)Prod. Bernie Bismark, Shetoro Henderson5:27
- 2Use Me UpProd. Pimp C4:29
- 3Pocket Full Of StonesProd. Pimp C6:09
- 4Short TexasProd. Pimp C6:18
- 5Cocaine In The Back Of The RideProd. Bernie Bismark, Pimp C, Shetoro Henderson3:44
- 6It's Too Hard To SwallowProd. Bernie Bismark, Bun B, Shetoro Henderson5:19
- 7Cramping My StyleProd. Bernie Bismark, Bun B, Shetoro Henderson4:45
- 8Feel Like I'm The One Who's Doin' DopeProd. Pimp C6:17
- 9I'm So BadProd. Pimp C3:34
- 10Trill Ass NiggaProd. Bernie Bismark, Bun B, Shetoro Henderson4:26
- 11976-Bun BProd. Bernie Bismark, Shetoro Henderson2:48
- 12Something Good (Pimp C's Remix)Prod. Pimp C4:43
Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.
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Released November 10, 1992. More from hip hop in 1992.