Houston's Devin breaks
out on his own with 'Just Tryin to Live'
Local Groove
Becky Proctor
Rap-A-Lot Records was founded in 1986 when
chief executive officer James Prince promised to help two young men launch
their music careers
on the condition that they finish school.
Photo courtesy of Rap-A-Lot
Records
Houston-based rapper Devin
has performed with the likes of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. His new album,
Just Tryin to Live, will be hitting stores
soon.
These two young men graduated and formed
the Geto Boys. Since the emergence of the Geto Boys, Rap-A-Lot has been
a dominant fixture in
the hometown rap scene. It has grown to
become a respected record label and a multimillion-dollar empire. Rap-A-Lot
has graced Houston with
such artists as Tela, Scarface and, recently,
Devin.
Devin's career spans from the early 1990s
to the present day with his brand-new success. Devin The Dude was discovered
rapping at a local
talent show. He soon linked with fellow
comrades to develop The Odd Squad, a group of rapper misfits.
The group consisted of fellow rappers Blind
Rob and Jugg Mugg. After meeting Prince in 1992, Rap-A-Lot quickly signed
The Odd Squad. Its
1994 release Fad Enuf Fa Erybody generated
much-needed publicity for the group.
The success of the release led label-mate
Scarface to recruit Devin into his newly formed group, FaceMob. The group
produced an opportunity
for Devin to record a solo album. Soon
after, Devin released The Dude.
The Dude was a smooth tribute to Devin's
priorities: wine, women and weed. It highlighted Devin's cool, laid-back
persona. The Dude displayed
Devin's introspection and intelligence
through freaky tales and serious cuts.
This raunchy rapper surpassed expectations.
The success of The Dude prompted a call from Dr. Dre, who acknowledged
Devin's talent. Dre
chose Devin to participate on Dre's Chronic
2001 CD. Devin was featured on a track with Dre and Snoop Dogg. His performance
won him a spot
on the Up in Smoke Tour with Dre, Snoop,
Xzbit and Eminem, thus setting the stage for his popularity and success.
Devin's latest CD, Just Tryin to Live,
is a sequel to The Dude. The album uses the same formula as Devin's first
solo album.
The title track is an uplifting and heart-touching
song; it is Devin's favorite on the CD.
"If there's any example of somebody who's
been in this for a minute and is still trying to make something out of
it, even though sometimes it feels
like there's nothing, that's us," Devin
said of the song, which is lyrically based on his struggles to become famous.
Despite his title track heart-warmer, Devin's
familiar lyrics shine through on his other tracks and are extremely obvious
in "Cock Hounds," which
features his alter ego companion Country
Dude.
Just Tryin to Live also features "Right
Now," a true-life airplane occurrence designed to serve as a self-help
session. Dr. Dre makes an
appearance on the album by producing "She
Wants Me" and "Some of 'Em," which features Nas.
"Doobie Ashtray," produced by DJ Premiere,
compares materialistic joys to remnants left in an ashtray. "Ha Ha" is
a playful track about finding
riches while digging in the trash. The
song serves as a recollection of Devin's childhood.
"When I lived in Florida," he said, "I
used to listen to WXRB. They would throw a lot of stuff away, promotional
records, that were a little scratched
and unplayable. So every once in a while
we'd be walking by, I'd see something in the Dumpster and grab it, and
take it home and jam. Some kids
would laugh, but they didn't know what
gems I was taking home."
The same is true for Devin's Just Tryin
To Live. This album is definitely a reminder to the rap world of Houston's
contribution to hip-hop.
