Something about humor in the verses with solid lyrics as well just made his music even better. The hilarity is not lost on me and I think what made Juvenile my favorite rapper at the time was his humor included in his music. Imagine these questions asked in an actual conversation.
"That was that nerve ha/ You ain't even much get a chance to say a word, ha/ I know I ain't trippin', don't your brother got them birds, ha/ You ready to bust one of them niggaz head, ha/ You ain't scared, ha/ You know how to play it, ha/ I know you ain't just gonna let a nigga come and punk you, ha/ Stunt and front you, ha Straight up run you, ha/ You know who got that fire green, ha/ You know how to use a triple beam, ha/ Shit ain't hard as it seems, ha/ You keep your body clean, ha/ You got a lot of girbaud jeans, ha/ Some of your partners dope fiends, ha/ You really don't want to fuck with them niggas, ha/ You come up with them niggas, ha/ You stuck with them niggas, ha/" It's one of my least favorite songs on this album, yet it's one of the most catchy and hilarious songs here, as Juve weaves a truly infectious hook alongside almost spoken word slurred verses, which pose some of the funniest questions I've ever heard in a hip hop song. As silly as this song was back in 98 when it first dropped, it's now recognized as a classic. Starting off with a knocking drum roll and the sweet sounds of Mannie Fresh harmonizing the now iconic "BEAUTIFULLLLLLL" on the intro, before we go right into the landmark first single from Juve in "Ha". The Cash Money formula was growing in success, and this would be the project that perfected it.
While I don't think this is the best Juve album (Tha G Code deserves that distinction), it is certainly the most infamous and the highest selling, currently sitting at 6 million records sold, the highest selling album in the history of Cash Money Records. With the world at his feet and the crown ready to be rest on the Cash Money mantle, Juvenile created his biggest album and what I like to consider a true hip hop classic. It was the southern drawl backed by the firepower of his lyrics that gave Juve his highest appeal. He was the leading MC of Cash Money and at the time, aside from DMX, he was my favorite rapper. Long before Lil Wayne considered himself one of the best rappers, and before the foundation was split between Cash Money and Young Money, Juvenile was the man for CMR. It was this album that asserted the dominance of CMR and solidified Juvenile as a true star. What spawned this influence? Well although I had heard Cash Money music through 19, the album that truly struck me was the November 1998 release of 400 Degreez by Juvenile. I wanted to be a Cash Money millionaire and young True reflected that through some of the songs he wrote (man it was pretty bad). In addition to influencing me in general, Cash Money was the main reason I started writing lyrics. As an artist myself, one of the major influences in the beginning of my journey was Cash Money Records, as their music spoke to me at the time, with the harsh reality I lived around, along with the dreams that I had of better. When I look back upon my fondest memories of hip hop, there are albums and moments that are near and dear to my heart.
"You see that 98 Mercedes on TV? I bought that / I had some felony charges I fought that / been sent to no return but still was brought back." And in a refreshing turn, Juvenile retains that same energy throughout the three-verse banger, imbuing "400 Degreez" with the intensity a title track merits.Tracklist 1. "You see me I eat sleep shit and talk rap," he declares. For whatever reason, it incited something deadly in Juvenile, who opted to assert his dominance from the opening bars onward. In contrast to the bulk of the album's production, "400 Degreez" feels oddly sinister with its off-kilter robotic chant. At the forefront of the movement was Juvenile, who came through to make a resounding statement with his debut album 400 Degreez. Released twenty-two years ago to this day (one year earlier than Lil Wayne's 1999 debut The Block Is Hot), Juvie's Mannie Fresh-produced classic is widely praised on the strength of "Back Dat Azz Up" and "Ha." Yet throughout the eighteen-track project are plenty of highlights to behold, with the title track shining particularly bright. In the late nineties, Birdman and his Cash Money Millionaires were in the process of taking control of the rap game. 1 MAKE IT STOP Twenty-two years ago to this day, Juvenile came through to deliver his classic debut album "400 Degreez."