Steve 'Flash' JuonAs noted in my last review a couple of years ago, Crime Boss is a seminal and mysterious figure in the history of Southern rap. You can’t even find sources that agree on his real name, although Wikipedia’s claim that it was “Thurston Slaughter” made me laugh out loud. If I was a WWE ID prospect looking for a memorable moniker hoping to get signed, that’s almost exactly what I’d choose — or more likely it’s what THEY would choose and then trademark so they’d own the IP. I find the Discogs entry claiming he’s “Courtney Oliver” more credible but your mileage may vary. Either way we’re here to talk about his third album “Still at Large,” his first release following his departure from Suave House Records.
Owing to the fact this was also the debut of his imprint Crime Lab Records, “Still at Large” feels like an expression of his mogul-in-the-making desire. Of particular interest to me is the ubiquitous presence of a rapper named Pimp Money, who is mentioned on the album’s cover and has a credit on nearly every song of this hour long album. Unfortunately his career is an even bigger “Unsolved Mystery” than his cohort, with a Discogs entry that’s completely blank and no footprint anywhere else. Ever tried to Google search for a rapper named “Pimp Money” yourself? I’m telling you right now it’s a waste of time but try it for yourself to be amused.
No song illustrated the fact this album feels like a label’s sampler/compilation more than the track “Who Ya Fucking With.” Nearly everyone mentioned on the artwork finds their way onto this song: 380, Big Dave, E.S.G., Harry Hay, Pimp Money, and T-Dubb all get mic time. Dubb (of Foesum) and E.S.G. are the only ones who had anything going on before OR after this release, but the last few years haven’t been kind to E.S.G. — colon cancer, a leg amputation, and a serious car accident just to name a few things he’s gone through. It gets worse though as Dubb passed away in 2024 — RIP brother. It’s a fine posse track, and there are other fine moments here, such as the funky bassline and shoulder chip attitude of “See What Ya Don’t See.”
What frustrates me about “Still at Large” though is that it wasn’t marketed as a compilation or a new label’s showcase. Crime Boss put his name on it as the featured artist, yet he doesn’t get to fly solo anywhere other than “Danger Zone.” This is the single biggest mystery of the album though — most playlists don’t include it even though it’s clearly the eighth track on the CD. I eventually found an upload that appears to be from a compilation that Crime Boss released himself and uploaded to the internet, which lends a bit of irony to this review.
“Find yourself toe tagged and wrapped up in black plastic”
This is what I wanted — the former Suave House rapper front and center standing tall with a drawl and vocal pitch that sounds like a mixture of DJ Quik and MJG. No disrespect to the likes of 1 Way and Big Dave, but I’m not here for them, and neither seems to have done anything other than for Crime Lab Records anyway (and not since 2010 to boot). At the end of the day “Still at Large” is a missed opportunity. Crime Boss could have broken away from Suave House, made his name on the solo tip, then launched his label with all of his proteges. He made the classic mistake of putting the cart before the horse and a watered down album lacking star power is the result.