The times when the term « Dirty South » was automatically linked to either No Limit or Juvenile and his Cash Money Millionaires are definitely over. After Ludacris, OutKast and Slimm Calhoun reppin’ ATL to the fullest, it’s again Miami striking back from the land of palm-trees and lowriders. But this time, it’s not JT Money, it’s Trick Daddy. Seems like Trick, who suffered hard attacks from the media for both his debut “www.thug.com” and his sophomore effort “Book Of Thugs: Chapter AK, Verse 47”, wants to make it up as he comes around again, this time with his third solo album called “Thugs Are Us”. There’s nothing revolutionary, not even anything new on this album, it just confirms one of the oldest rules of mankind: learning by doing. Trick is still all about thugs, hoes and drugs, but at least he seems to stand up for his narrow-minded message. There’s no sign of him trying to be like anyone else, and even if it had to last three albums, it finally pays off. Starting off with the reggae-influenced “I’m A Thug”, Trick paves the way to the clubs right away, delivering potential club-hits non stop. On “Take It To Da House”, a song Trick wanted “MTV or BET to respect without sending it back, refusing to play it because it’s too street” (Source Magazine 04/01), he literally rolls over James Brown’s “The Boss”, with the whole Slip-N-Slide Express backing him up. Speaking of the Slip-N-Slide Express, nominally Trina, Tre+6, Duece Poppi, Kase, Money Mark, and J.V., it should be pointed out that the before mentioned “I’m A Thug” i s the only track on the album where Daddy spits rhymes by himself, on all the other tracks he’s being supported by his colleagues, sometimes he’s outshined, on some tracks he’s not even featured. So I wouldn’t speak too much of a Trick Daddy solo effort, but hey, let’s be happy he finally brought some good stuff to the studio, and maybe next time it even works without too much help. (HAD)