
This is the 9th studio LP from Memphis, Tennessee rapper, songwriter, producer & record executive Juicy J. Rising to stardom in the 90s as the co-founder of the seminal Three 6 Mafia alongside his Tear Da Club Up Thugs cohorts DJ Paul & the late Lord Infamous, he’s also had the most successful solo career out of everyone in the Mafia whether it be the Taylor Gang Entertainment/Columbia Records-backed Stay Trippy & Rubba Band Business: The Album or more recently Crypto Business & Mental Trillness. The latter & it’s sequel noticeably taking on a more serious tone than some of Juicy’s latest material, taking a good chunk of it’s time coping with Gangsta Boo’s untimely passing. Coming off the mature Ravenite Social Club, he’s having Logic fully produce Live & in Color.
The title track sets it off with a boom bap instrumental asking if you understand getting money with the rest of the hood whereas “Get Right” featuring Project Pat works in a psychedelic sample keeping his back against the wall. After the first of many “Discussion” interludes, “Big Bag Talk” finds himself back in the basement to show off his riches just before “The Problem” featuring Logic himself after the “Discussion 2” interlude soulfully brings the pair together to discuss coming from nothing.
“Shame” featuring Logic once again brings a trap vibe to the beat from Bobby Boy Records in-house producer 6 suggesting you watch them kick their feet up after rolling their weed up & after the “Discussion 3” interlude, “We Live” returns to the boom bap talking about striving for something better. After the “Discussion 4” interlude, “Kill For” heads for a dustily exuberant approach flexing that he’s lived a life many wish they had leading into the 2-parter “& Did” immediately following the Discussion 5” interlude focusing on motion instead of pussy.
Chipmunk soul & boom bap collide with each other during “Flowers” talking about the samples getting his daughters through college but after the “Discussion 6” interlude, “20 Years Later” featuring Logic & Project Pat swaps out the boom bap elements in favor of trap sticking to the codes to this very day like they did 2 decades prior while “Fame” suggests to not let the internet mislead you & allow him to do all the guiding since Juicy’s a product of his people.
After the “Discussion 7” interlude, “Black Rothstein” featuring Wiz Khalifa likens themselves to Arnold Rothstein of the Jewish Mob over an instrumental meshing soul & trap with each other 1 last time until the final song “I Need a Hug” ahead of the “Discussion 8” outro properly ending Live & in Color by telling his late mother to take a good look at him because he’s genuinely trying figuring out if she can even hear him from the pearly gates.
Saving only 3 verses, Logic takes a backseat on the mic for a good portion of Live & in Color in favor of opting to focus more on the production side of things & that to me is actually a great call because this is almost on the same enjoyability level as Juicy’s jazz rap album 10 months ago. Bobby’s production in spite of the ridiculous amount of “Discussion” interludes tightly balances boom bap, trap & chipmunk soul during the course of 13 tracks displaying both sides of the Three 6 co-founder whether it’s the maturity of his recent output for fun trap joints to play when you’re out having fun.
Score: 4/5
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