8Ball and MJG - Living Legends: Chopped & Screwed (CD)

All Music Guide

For anyone following the screwed and chopped (slowed down and somewhat remixed) phenomenon, seeing one of the mix CDs with "Executive Producer: Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs" on the back is nothing short of shocking. To Diddy's credit, he's handed the album over for screwing and chopping to one of the best, Michael Watts of Swishahouse. After the opening nod to DJ Screw, Watts reorders the album and mixes it nonstop. Screwing and chopping sounds easy until you hear a lame mix, and Watts just never lets that happen. When Eightball is on one of his lyrical runs, Watts just lets him go. When it comes to choruses, he's all over them. One of his best tricks is starting a track slow, then taking it even slower later. He segues tracks together with more effort than other screwers, and just to make things even more eerie he screws and chops the interludes Hearing Diddy's patented shoutouts at this speed is bizarre, but not nearly as bizarre as hearing 112's sweet harmony slowed to a crawl. Watts does ...his best to destroy the glitter of "Trying to Get at You" and "Baby Girl," making them true thug nightmares, while the multitracked chorus of "Confessions" goes from sweet to sinister. The limited and eerie screwed and chopped style will forever be an acquired taste. Those who have it should be pleased that Diddy and Bad Boy hired one of the genre's best remixers for these living legends. - David Jeffries, All Music Guide Read more Less