YoungBloodZ

YoungBloodZ debuted impressively in 1999 with Against da Grain, but no one -- not even their biggest fans -- would have predicted how much of a stride forward they'd make with their long-delayed follow-up, Drankin' Patnaz. Of course, the ATL duo had hooked up with So So Def Records between albums, and the move was a momentous one for YoungBloodZ. Not only did the promising partnership guarantee the duo mass-market distribution and marketing (via So So Def's corporate parent, Arista), but it also gave them the time and budget they needed to make a great breakthrough album. And that they certainly did with Drankin' Patnaz, the most glaring evidence being "Damn!," the album opener. Damn! indeed. The Lil Jon production is a rabble-rousing, 'bow-throwing club-banger of monstrous proportions. It's on a par with any of the King of Crunk's innumerable other club-banging productions -- from "Bia' Bia'" to "Get Low" -- and it's no doubt one of the rowdiest songs to ever break into the Top Five of Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Of course, it's not easy to follow such an audacious album-opener, yet YoungBloodZ somehow follow through, first with another hard-hitting, floor-shaking bass anthem ("Whatchu Lookin' At") and then with a solid run of top-shelf Dirty South tracks helmed by their talented stable of producers, most notably Mark Twayne, the Track Boyz, and R.O.B. Furthermore, there's also a laid-back Jazzy Pha track hidden toward the album's close, "Money on My Mind," that's yet another highlight. There's more to Drankin' Patnaz than huge bass beats, however. J Bo and Sean Paul are excellent rappers, plain and simple. Their flows are quick and liquid, and they trade off rhymes with ease. This is how duos are supposed to rap -- as a duo rather than as a pair of solo artists. From so many different perspectives, Drankin' Patnaz is a far above average Dirty South release and a crowning achievement for YoungBloodZ, whom So So Def was keen to pick up and develop. [The clean bonus DVD version of Drankin' Patnaz appends five of the group's videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and a photo gallery. It also edits moments of profanity for those who take offense to such material.] ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide