Trap Tuesday: Triple C's Edition

When the debut album from Triple C's (Carol City Cartel), Custom Cars & Cycles released last Tuesday, I had my doubts.  Rarely does a well-established rapper bring his friends along and create an album worth listening to more than once.  The group leaked some good tracks in the run-up to the album release, and a couple quality videos, but in such situations it's easier for the established rapper to carry the group on his back.  Not so, with an album.  It turns out that the trio of Young Breed, Torch, and Gunplay aren't simply Rick Ross' weed carriers as some suggested, but all manage to hold their own next to Ross and contribute to the group dynamic.  As evidenced by the cover, Ross often takes center stage, but his forward presence seems to be more of a marketing consideration than a reaction to a deficit in talent among the other members.

With such a large group, one can expect some longer songs.  Over half of them stretch beyond five minutes, and the epic "Diamonds & Maybachs Pt. 2" reaches past the seven minute mark.  You know Triple C's is doing something right, because none of them seem too long.  The album is also loaded with features, stretching from Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane (on separate tracks of course) to Mack 10 and Warren G.  However, the effort stays cohesive and none of the guests sound out of place or take away from the (somewhat ostentatious) feeling created by the group.



The album is good, with several notable tracks including the aforementioned "Diamonds & Maybachs Pt. 2" and the understated "Throw it in the Sky."  The production is consistent, even when ranging from synth-fuelled trap anthems to the sample-heavy  hustler epics.  I'm a little disappointed that the album isn't receiving more attention and I think some were a little too quick to write it off.

Album Rating: 7/10

Update:  It's looking like the album is going to do only around 4,000 in first week sales which is a dismal number.  A lot of underground rappers do better than that with next to no promotion.  And to think that Triple C's had the wait of Def Jam behind them and some high profile features, it's pretty sad.  It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, because frankly the album deserves more love.