Steve 'Flash' JuonHouston rapper Slim Guerilla has that type of nom de plume that sounds like a Wu-Tang Name Generator for the Dirty South spit it out. I honestly think that should exist but I don’t want to be the one to program it. Other possible choices it could have spit out include Slim Da Realest, Guerilla Pimpin (seriously how has nobody used that) and Young Slim. Anyway — SG has been on the scene dating back to at least 2013 and used to be associated with a clique called the Raider Klan. As this is my first time covering him I have no idea if they parted on good terms or not. It is what it is.
With a total of 587 subscribers on YouTube I have a sneaking suspicion this might be your first time hearing Slim Guerilla too. For an artist with such a modest following “SG Thrilla Mane Radio” is a pleasant surprise. His flow reminds me more of Memphis than Houston, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. While the cover art and song titles like “Jack Skellington” imply he might be a horrorcore emcee, all I really hear is some smooth Southern swang. This particular track is more of an interlude than a full vocal performance but the vibe still shines through.
I’m prepared to put “Throw Yo Sets Up” into immediate rotation in my ride. G Slim has a melodic flow and the whistling backdrop behind it mixes well with some old school drum kit sounds. He easily switches up his flow from a standard measure to rapid fire couplets a la Bone Thugs or Twista which only enhances the throwback feel of his music. This is all making me question exactly why Guerilla Slim isn’t better known outside of his hometown.
“Story Time” seals the deal for me. This is the track where the Texas in Slim’s nature truly comes through. It’s a low and slow funk groove that sounds like something Devin the Dude or U.G.K. would spit on. I’m sitting here wishing there was a music video to go with the tale he’s spitting. I realize with 587 subscribers that’s probably not in the budget… and yet he’s clearly got enough bread to produce a track this polished so how do I know it’s not? When it drops speed at the end it gets even funkier.
The only time I really thought “SG Thrilla Mane Radio” got anywhere as dark as the cover implies is “Forensics” featuring Almighty Bumpin’ and Eva Noxious. This brings things straight back to the Three 6 side of Southern rap, and the only slight I can offer is that the guests aren’t as good as Slim. They don’t embarrass him or the track though. I hate to say the rap business is cosmetic but if Eva Noxious is a looker I can see her blowing up overnight.
This is a confounding album to me. Everything that Guerilla Slim does here is done right. Clean music, clean vocals, clean mix, solid package end to end. How is he this good and this far beneath the surface of the mainstream? Well the answer is obvious — we are in an overwhelming glut of aspiring rappers seeking their 15 minutes of fame and that problem is never going away. It’s a literal million to one shot to get heard by anyone and even lower than that to make a living from it. Let’s look at it from the opposite side of the coin then. If you know your odds are that low anyway would you rather half ass it and put out some bullshit or make something you can take pride in no matter how well it does? Guerilla Slim clearly has some pride in himself and with the right break could be a whole lot bigger than he is right now.