Ridin' Dirty

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Ridin' Dirty
Ridin' Dirty cover
Studio album by UGK
Released July 29, 1996
Recorded 1995-1996
Genre Southern Rap
Label Jive
Professional reviews
UGK chronology
Super Tight
(1994)
Ridin' Dirty
(1996)
Dirty Money
(2001)

"Ridin Dirty" is the 4th album from the rap group UGK based out of Port Arthur, Texas. It was released July 29, 1996 on Jive Records. Jay-Z, T.I., and Chamillionaire have cited this as their hip-hop favorite album. It was the group's most successful album, going gold with over 500,000 sales in the U.S, even without a music video or a single. It is also made many end of year lists and was not followed up until 2001's "Dirty Money".


[edit] Trivia

- People typically wrongfully cite the R&B vocalist on "One Day" as Ron Isley, but it is in fact, a local southern singer named Ronnie Spencer. The vocals themselves are partially interpolated from an Isley Brothers song "Ain't I Been Good to You" (1974).
- DJ Screw and UGK collaborated on a screwed and chopped mixtape as a prequel to this album in 1996. It also heavily featured original screwed-up click member, Grace, who Pimp C demanded have an involvement with the tape after being impressed with his presence on various screw tapes. The tape featured freestyle tracks, slowed down, over various songs -- including "Fuck My Car," which later appeared as a song on the album, and other classic hip-hop instrumentals. It was only released as a cassette.
- The voice on the interludes, portraying the life of an incarcerated man's conversation with a close friend regarding life in a penitentiary, is of Jackson, Mississippi rapper and UGK affiliate Smoke D, who also appeared on the song "Protect and Serve" on UGK's second LP, Super Tight. Smoke D is still incarcerated, and Pimp C would often reference him in various UGK songs ("Man hit that sweet one time cause Smoke D locked down in that pen").
- Bun B has stated that initially he was apprehensive towards recording "One Day," which has become one of the quintessential UGK records and southern rap songs altogether, due to the down tempo nature of the song. He cited that the death of a close friend (which he mentions in his verse: 'I remember being eight deep off in Chuckie's crib / lettin' us act bad / not giving a fuck what we did / when we lost him, I knew the world was coming to an end / And I had to quit lettin' that devil push me to a sin.') was responsible for ultimately leading him to agree to recording over the song.
- The photography on the album cover was allegedly shot in front of DJ Screw's house in Houston.
- UGK released an accompanying 12" record of the album entitled "Ridin' Clean," which featured all of the vocals on the album re-done, without any curse words or lyrics that could be taken as offensive. Due to UGK's often outlandish and aggressive word choices, the results were often far different from the original lyrics. For example, "Fuck My Car" became "Ride My Car," where Bun B's infamous "And didn't even fuck! Man what the fuck? If you didn't want to fuck, then get the fuck out the truck!" line is transformed into "You didn't even hit! Man you need to quit! If they ain't wanna hit, they need to get up out my shhhhh..."

[edit] Track listing

# Title Producer(s) Performer (s)
1 "Intro" Bun B
2 "One Day" Pimp C, N.O. Joe, Mr. 3-2 Bun B, Pimp C, Mr. 3-2, Ronnie Spencer
3 "Murder" Pimp C, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C
4 "Pinky Ring" Pimp C, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C, Kristi Floyd (Background Vocals)
5 "Diamonds & Wood" Pimp C, N.O. Joe, Tony Smalios Bun B, Pimp C, Reginald Hackett (background vocals)
6 "3 In The Mornin'" Pimp C, N.O. Joe Bun B, Big Smokin Mitch, Pimp C
7 "Touched" Pimp C, Mike Harris, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C, Mr. 3-2, Funkafangus (guitar)
8 "Fuck My Car" Pimp C, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C
9 "That's Why I Carry" Pimp C, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C, Funkafangus (guitar)
10 "Hi-Life" Pimp C, N.O. Joe, Dawn Jo Bun B, Pimp C, N.O. Joe (background vocals)
11 "Good Stuff" Pimp C, Sergio, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C, Reginald Hackett (background vocals)
12 "Ridin' Dirty" Pimp C, N.O. Joe Bun B, Pimp C
13 "Outro" Pimp C Bun B, Pimp C