I’d also imagine that Devin is the first emcee to invoke the wit and wisdom of Br’er Rabbit, as he does on “Briar Patch.” Devin’s clever take on dealing with confrontation is quite creative. Apparently inspired by a real-life experience, he deals with surly passengers and reminisces on being so high that he “can feel the breeze,” which is an impressive feat while flying a commercial airliner. Devin uses “Right Now” to detail his experience taking Ecstasy while on a cross-country flight. Over a sped-up sample of Willie Hutch’s “Now That It’s All Over,” he laments how alcohol abuse turned him into persona non grata, rapping, “Look at me now it seems that everybody know / Where I been and even where I gotta go / And they’ll try to help me out if it would benefit them / But if not they'll probably be like fuck him.” In the end Devin has the self-awareness to know that he’s the cause of his own troubles, making the song the best hip-hop episode of Intervention ever recorded.Īs a gifted storyteller, Devin often finds inspiration in the mundane details of life, imbuing them with humor and wisdom. Playing off of a Civil War-era term for drunkenness, Devin displays great insight as he considers his alcoholism and how it impacts his life and relationships with others.
Over the mellow G-Funk-esque wail of synths and pianos, he proclaims to be “higher than a thumb-tack on a flyer of Reba McEntire in the hood” and brushes off criticisms of his character, noting “Some n****as think I’m soft, so they try to harass me / Some think I’m smart, some think I’m dumb, some think I'm trashy / Ask me who got that good-good shit I probably know.”ĭevin then immediately follows with “Cooter Brown,” a thoughtful exploration of struggles with alcohol abuse. “To Tha X-Treme” is one of his many odes to his penchant for getting stoned out of his gourd. Opening To Tha X-Treme with the one-two punch of the title track and “Cooter Brown” demonstrates Devin’s versatility. To Tha X-Treme was Rap-A-Lot’s best releases of the ’00s and one of the best albums of 2004.
Devin remained loyal to James “Lil’ J” Smith and continued to record quality product. The Geto Boys were essentially defunct, and Scarface specifically had moved on to run Def Jam South. Dre, De La Soul, UGK, and many others between the late ’90s and early ’00s.īy 2004, Devin was one of the last artists standing on Rap-A-Lot. Prominent rappers began enlisting him to appear on their records, both for his lyricism and singing ability he appeared on tracks by Dr. In-between, he earned major respect from a dedicated fanbase and his peers, including many of hip-hop’s best and brightest. He released the critically acclaimed and slept-on The Dude in 1998, following it up with Just Tryin’ Ta Live (2002) a few years later. Amidst releases by hardcore legends like Scarface, Gangsta N-I-P, Big Mike, and the 5th Ward Boyz, the jazzy, smoked out release was a bit of an oddity.ĭevin briefly became a member of the Scarface-led Facemob before splitting off on his own as a solo rapper. Devin first appeared as a member of the Odd Squad, who’s Fadanuf Fa Erybody!!! was released in 1994. Best known as the original home of the Geto Boys, the label was a delivery device for Houston’s best and brightest hip-hop talent. Devin is all of these things and more on To Tha X-Treme, arguably the greatest album in his extensive catalogue.ĭevin got his start on Rap-A-Lot Records, the Houston-based label run by the infamous James “Lil’ J” Smith. And he’s a master at crafting albums that navigate both deep and entertaining subject matter without ever feeling strained. He’s a skilled storyteller who can capture all types of moods. He can be simultaneously slyly humorous and deeply introspective.
He possesses panache a la Slick Rick while maintaining the intelligence a la Scarface. As a gifted artist with a laid-back delivery and smooth vocals, he’s equally skilled as both a rapper and a singer. There aren’t many artists out there like Devin “The Dude” Copeland. Happy 15th Anniversary to Devin The Dude’s third studio album To Tha X-Treme, originally released July 13, 2004.
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