When the Smoke Clears

1	Intro 0:57
2	44 Killers (Interlude) 1:42
3	Sippin' on Some Syrup / Project Pat 4:21
4	Weak Azz B***H / La' Chat 2:47
5	Just Like Us 4:14
6	I'm So Hi 3:56
7	Mafia N****Z 3:04
8	Hook Up W/ H**s 0:39
9	From Da Back 4:02
10	F**K Y'All H**S 3:59
11	Where Da Cheese At 2:28
12	Tongue Ring 4:04
13	Barrin' You B***Hes 3:36
14	Whatcha Know / Big Gipp 4:17
15	Act Like You Know Me (Point 'Em Out) 4:08
16	Take a Bump 2:25
17	Touched Wit It / La' Chat 4:08
18	M.E.M.P.H.I.S. / Hypnotize Camp Posse 4:51
19	Just Anotha Crazy Click / Twiztid 3:57
20	Who Run It 4:09
21	Put Ya Signs 4:12
22	What's Next (Outro) 1:52

Barnes & Noble

With the onslaught of Southern hip-hoppers commandeering the rap charts like a group of, well, no-limit soldiers, it's no surprise to see veteran Memphis group Three 6 Mafia back in the rap game. The quartet established their gangsta rap reputation with their 1997 debut, Da End, and When the Smoke Clears -- which reunites rapstress Gangsta Boo with Juicy "J," Lord Infamous, and Crunchy Black -- picks up where they left off with tracks about criminal madness and sexual mayhem. Although the record suffers greatly from DJ Paul's contrived, bass-blunted production, the Mafia still deliver the type of trash-talking raps that originally put Dirty South hip-hop on the map. On the lethargically pulsating "Sippin' on Some Syrup," the Mafia chant about mixing cough syrup and soda as a substitute for booze. Meanwhile, songs such as "44 Killers," "Mafia N****z," and "Just Another Click" ride against thumping bass lines as the group boast about their street cred. If nothing else, Three 6 Mafia have mastered the art of painting vivid and often raw images with their music -- on "Tongue Ring," a celebratory ode to oral sex, Gangsta Boo explicitly reveals how she deals with suitors who get out of line. (Hint: It involves ice, strawberries, and razors, but results in castration. Ouch!) Guess it doesn't pay to play with the Mafia. Neo Brentacious

All Music Guide

When the Smoke Clears continues Three 6 Mafia's ominous march toward the mainstream, a parade of uncompromising confrontation that grew more credible, album after album and year after year. Here the Memphis collective do what they've been doing all along: spit harsh, chant-along rhymes about anything imaginably taboo, from tongue-ringed fellators to codeine-syrup sippers, over downright menacing beats by Juicy J and DJ Paul. What sets When the Smoke Clears apart from its predecessors is the glossier production and numerous big-name guests (UGK, Big Gipp, Mr. Serv-On, Fiend, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid). Plus, there are a few exceptional tracks here, chief among them "Sippin' on Some Syrup," "From da Back," "I'm So Hi," and "M.E.M.P.H.I.S." Since the album runs a 22-track distance, there's of course some filler in there, but that's to be expected with most early-2000s rap albums. Regardless of the quantity value, the filler makes for a spotty album overall; however, the aforementioned exceptional tracks make When the Smoke Clears definitely worth seeking out for fans and also make it a noteworthy addition to Three 6 Mafia's deep canon. Jason Birchmeier