Shelby Forest Click - Backwoodz Ballin' Album Review

Artist: The Shelby Forest Click
Album: Backwoodz Ballin’
Label: Labrat Muzik
Executive Producer: n/a

Underground all-white Memphis, Tennessee group The Shelby Forest Click is most notably known as the start for Hypnotize Minds member Lil’ Wyte. Wyte started his career as a part of the SFC group (going by the name Lil’ Pat). As legend has it SFC got their 1999 album “From Hood To Da Woodz” in the hands of Three-6 Mafia’s DJ Paul & Juicy J. This led to an offer to join Hypnotize Minds. While most of SFC thought the contract was a bad one and turned down the offer, Wyte accepted a solo deal from the Memphis legends where he has remained for the rest of his career. This led to feud between SFC and Wyte and since then the SFC has remained an underground success releasing a slew of group and solo efforts over the last several years. Their newest offering is the brand new street album entitled “Backwoodz Ballin” which was released for free download on DATPiff.com (and is also available to buy at IAPstore.com).

“Backwoodz Ballin” opens up with the intro song featuring members Big A, J. Nelson, Chuck Sweaty, Hotboy, Brave Dave, & Mack DVS welcoming us with a nice posse cut over ominous keys and horns. Next up is the remix to “Hustlin’ Everyday” by Nelson, Brave Dave, Hotboy, & Big A. The SFC update their anthem to hustling over nasty claps and horns and a brief diss aimed at Lil’ Wyte. “No Love For Ya” is up next which features SFC members Big A, J. Nelson, Mack DVS, and Brave Dave joined by former HCP and Killa Klan Kaze member K-Rock and Black Rain Ent.’s II Tone in a song which will give listeners flashbacks of old HCP Posse Songs. This one is a much harder and street record with everyone bringing their a-game here. I haven’t heard K-Rock in quite some time and he sounded as hungry as ever.

“Can’t Laugh, Won’t Cry” is a more reflective record which sees Brave Dave, Mack DVS, & Big A speak on struggling and trying to maintain through the pain. “Up Late Nite” is a rawkus party anthem followed by the Kingpin Skinny Pimp assisted “Paper Chasin.” The Memphis legend joins Brave Dave & Big A for the get money anthem and Skinny spits a show stealing verse over a dark-horror style beat. Following that is another remix, this time the remix to “What I Tell Ya” which sees Big A & Brave Dave stick their middle fingers up in the air aimed at the haters.

Incarcerated SFC member Mack DVS takes things over for his solo record “Through The Glass” which samples rock group Stone Sour’s song of the same name, and has Mack reflecting on his life and what led him to have to look “Through The Glass” at loved ones in prison. Mack’s gruffy voice and detailed narratives show glimpse of 8Ball in my opinion.

“looking through the past, what my life like/
reminiscing and pause on the highlights/
two parent household with perfect role models/
but quickly gravitated to the street life/
so green and inexperienced/
infatuated with the game, never thought about it twice/
like a fool, I knew all the rules/
and senseless consequences, still I rolled the dice/
gambling with my life and my freedom like I didn’t need ‘em/
living so blindly, on the grind full time in the street runnin wild/
with the click, that’s where ya could find me/
late nights, stayed up, tryin to get my weight up/
bumpin M-Town music/
“Smoked Out, Loced Out”, “King of the Playas Ball”, Squeeky, Alcatraz, and 2Deep/
started out small time dope game, weed man with a passion for rap/
I never had dreams of me being a lawyer or doctor or fireman or nothing like that/
slip and get killed, or end up in the pen/
that’s what they used to say mane, but damn what they talkin bout/
I wish I woulda listened, paid attention, because now…(IM LOOING THROUGH THE GLASS)/”

“Looking Through The Glass” ends up an amazing hip hop record and one of the true highlights of the album. The tone switches on “Stay Crunk” which is another party type crunk record as the title suggests. That’s followed by “A** House” which is J. Nelson, Brave Dave, and Big A’s stipper anthem. “Aint Neva Been” is another harder type record where Brave Dave, Hotboy, Big A, & Chuck Sweaty call out all the “fake” rappers and snitches. “All Day Hustling” is a coloration between SFC’s Big A and Don Cipher featuring a key-driven beat and chopped & screwed hook as the two spit about the grind. The album closes out with one of the harder records on the album, “Cold Blood.” Mack DVS, Brave Dave, & J. Nelson take the dark backdrop and tell a tale of murder and violence while all 3 shine.

“Backwoodz Ballin” ends up being another excellent release from the SFC with a nice balance of street records, club/party records, and more personal topics and all the SFC members played their part well, and it also featured several excellent features (mainly II Tone, K-Rock, & Skinny Pimp).