"Devin The Dude is a Dirty South underground legend. Appearing on such classics as Scarface's F. Friends and Dr. Dre's F. You...Devin has never been outshined. He is a chilled out hustler and pimp with a love for the sticky icky and his music reflects this. This album sounds high. It is so free flowing and laid back...you can let it play right through. There are no upbeat uptempo tracks no sir. I believe you have to be pretty laid back as a person to truly appreciate this album. Devin's rhyme style is humorous at times and he is telling stories most of the album. His voice is better than most with his slow smooth talk/rap over smooth beats. He shows he can get down with some of the best on Some Of Em with Xzibit and Nas. Just Trying Ta Live just makes you say ahhhhhh....I mean there's really not much to explain about it. Doobie Ashtray would have to be my favorite track on the album though. With a great chorus and a phenomenal beat provided by DJ Premier, this is one of the best songs of the year.
"what you gon do when the people go home and you wanna smoke weed but the reefas all gone,
somebody had the nerve to take the herb outta the doobie ashtray why they do me that way,
What you gonna do when your friends go home and you wanna drink a beer but your ends all gone,
somebody had the nerve to take the herb outta the doobie ashtray why they do me that way"That's a taste of the vibe of the album. This album is easily one of the years best and you should definitely check it out if you a chill out type of person. Must buy."
One of 2002's best Hip Hop Albums
Jeffrey Baker | Sac-town California | 12/15/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"With Devin's debut entitled 'The Dude' along with his appearance on Dr Dre 2001 and the Up in Smoke Tour, he has made a name for himself. Just Tryin to Live cements The Dude's place in hip hop and is even better than his nice debut. Tracks like Zeldar and R & B are at the beginning and are laugh-out-loud funny. On Lacville '79 we find Devin talking affectionately about his junker car. The song is actually quite good and is taken from one of his lines on his first album ("Im rollin car not stolen probably never will be its much too old &..."). I-Hi is an amusing and fun track, and Who is that Man Moma is very good in all its patheticness. On the latter, Devin laments over being looked at as a bad example on children. The cut is surprisingly eloquent however and one of my favorites on the LP. Some of Em has the star power to please featuring Nas and Xzibit, and Whatever is excellently done by sampling an Ice T song from Home Invasion. Whatever is short but definitely worth checking out. I'm not sure if the song "Fa Sho P*ssy" (i think thats what its called) is on the retail album, but that is one of the better cuts. The DJ Premier production 'Doobie Ashtray' is the best cut of the album. In trademark Devin fashion, Devin kicks some great bluesy rap on a beat that is absolutely infectious. To rap things up, the title track is an intrapersonal song that is another solid track from the Dude. Also, Dre produces a track or two on here which are good. Personally, this LP is amongst Talib Kwelli, Scarface, Jurassic 5, Genius, and Nas as being my favorite of 2002 and definitely recommended. If you own one Devin CD, make it Just Tryin to Live... and then cop The Dude."
Devin Tha Dude!!!!!!
D. A Kemp | ATL, GA | 08/02/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Devin tha Dude is the most slept on MC period.. Scarface thank you for putting out a great MC, but I guess it would take a great to understand another great. If you cant listen to this your ears dont work.. Devin hits on all cylinders from the syrupy drawl and somewhat singing he does, but his style is his own and I have never heard anyone like this DUDE.. I have all his music and I am stuck on his new album and I have been listening to it since it came out. I mean he has three spaces filled in my disc changer from Tha Dude then to Just Trying to Live and now on to To tha Xtreme.. Buy all of his CD's you will not be dissapointed."
He's low on cash, weed, and friends, but Devin's "Just Tryin
ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 07/31/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Houston rapper Devin the Dude has had quite an interesting career to follow while signed to Rap-A-Lot Records. Beginning in 1994 as a member of the comedic rap group Odd Squad, he then was a member of the very dark and serious group Facemob, before finally embarking on his own solo career. His second solo album, 2002's "Just Tryin' ta Live," is an excellent collection that showcases his immense talent and character. What I like most about Devin is that he is so easy to relate to because he doesn't speak of life as your average rapper does. Devin raps about his shortcomings instead, being poor and having the same wants and needs as anyone else. In doing so, he is often completely hilarious. Rapping about his love of weed, being short on cash, and his lack of female interaction are so funny because they're so real sounding. But he's also incredibly talented, and he's an effective lyricist, so he is entertaining when he raps about anything, and some of his verses can be almost totally nonsensical. His flow ranges from a conversational chatter to a sing-songy drawl. Often, his raps just sound like he is talking to you, but he'll sing a hook in a silly fashion. Another thing I really like about this release is the production. The production, while not sounding hard or menacing, has Houston written all over it. It's funky-fried southern funk, with twangy guitars, low bass, and an upbeat swing all the way through. Even when producers like DJ Premier contribute, the sound remains consistent and molded perfectly for Devin and his style. It's got such a low-key, laidback feel that makes it perfect in so many instances. "Just Tryin' ta Live" is hilarious and well-done, and I highly recommend it.
The album begins with the hilarious "Zeldar," where Devin narrates from the point of view of Zeldar, an alien from the planet Deldar, as he lands on earth and discovers a love for weed. With the creepy vocals and space-age funky beat, this song is really funny. "It's a Shame" has a driving, appealing beat that is enhanced by a soulful appearance from singer Poo Bear. On "R & B," Devin plays two characters, himself and a redneck white guy, as they discuss their love of "reefer and beer." With a great hook, concept, and beat, this song's a highlight. "Lacville '79" is one of my favorite songs on this album. Devin raps about his old car, and its terrible condition, with a great chorus ("I'm rollin', car not stolen, prob'ly never will be, it's much too old 'n..."). The verses are so understandable, which makes them so funny. He recalls childhood disappointment on the odd "I-Hi," which precedes "Who's That Man, Moma." This song is a little too long and slow, and although the verses are pretty funny, I don't like this song as much as the others on the album. Xzibit and Nas make high-profile appearances on "Some of 'Em," a rough, fast song. I love the loopy "Go Somewhere," with its ultra-catchy, sunny, and friendly production ("I'm not as think as you drunk I am..."). Although "Whatever" is only a minute long, it's a lyrical highlight. Devin ends each line with a curse that is replaced by an Ice-T kick. It's a great concept and comes of well. "Would Ya" also has a twangy, happy sound, with an appealing performance. My favorite song by far is the DJ Premier production "Doobie Ashtray." Although this song is obviously a Premo production from the scratched vocals in the beginning, it's tailored exactly to Devin's specifications, with the slow rolling bass and twangy guitar. But the spotlight is certainly on Devin. He sings a mournful hook and despairs in his verses about the loss of his friends, lack of cash and weed, and depression, until his spirits are finally lifted when he spontaneously finds a bag of weed. This is without a doubt among the finest tracks of Devin's discography. Raphael Saadiq makes a soulful appearance on the excellent "Just a Man," and Odd Squad collaborates on the solid "Fa Sho." "WXYZ" is pretty weird but okay, and it's followed by "Tough Love," an all-around nice song. The album ends with the great title track, another Odd Squad collabo. I love the philosophy he brings to this track, assessing a way of life and culture over great production.
Devin the Dude is one of the most unique MCs in hip hop right now, and he's got a decade's worth of fine material from his various musical endeavors. "Just Tryin' ta Live" is a great album showcasing all of his talents. I highly recommend this for the collection, it's great for laidback listening."
One Dude you can't sleep on.
Pablo | 10/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As I've mentioned in many of my other reviews, hip-hop that originates from Houston has a close spot in my heart. DJ Screw's style of slowed-down, chopped up music hooked me upon my first listen of it, and even though he's gone now, the rest of H-Town continue to carry on his legacy of slow-tempo, syrupy music, with a slurry accent.
I've got a lot of favorites residing in Houston, ranging from Chamillionaire, to Big Moe, to Paul Wall, to Lil' Keke, to Lil' Pokey, among others. However, my favorite of the entire bunch is, ironically, the rapper with the least amount of ties to DJ Screw - Devin The Dude. I was turned onto Devin through Dr. Dre's 2001 record, like many others presumably were. His chorus on "**** You" was so explicit, yet so hilarious, and his verse was so smooth, I had to check this kid out. Finding out he comes from the H-Town turned me onto the cat even more, and once i listened to Tryin' Ta Live, I was hooked.
Devin The Dude is the smoothest emcee this side of .. heck, I really don't know who's smoother than Devin. Some would argue Too $hort is, but even the first pimp of rap had a hard time matching the charisma that resonates from Devin's body. Not only is this Dude the coolest thing this side of Smirnoff Ice, he also has lyrics to back it up; he may not be the mathematical emcee some backpackers fiend for, but he does have tight rhymes, laced with humor rarely found elsewhere.
Southern grooves are found all over this album, and hilarious tales are retold by the player you can never hate on. This album and To Tha X-Treme are both tight as hell, but I think this one may rank a little bit above it's successor, due to songs like "I-Hi" and "Lacville '79." Still, if you're one of the hip-hop heads who enjoys good music no matter where it comes from, Devin's sophomore effort, Tryin' Ta Live, is for you."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1