AMG Review of Fast Money [Screwed & Chopped]

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

It's strange that Swisha House producer Michael Watts doesn't get a credit on the cover of this remix of Birdman's Fast Money, since he's the biggest name since DJ Screw in the hallucinatory world of screwed and chopped. While the packaging may be sloppy, Watts' mix is anything but. He's more brittle than ever with the scratching but he's also more subtle than usual, burying some of his turntable work under Birdman's raps. He also slows the tracks down less and doesn't follow his usual pattern of getting trippier as the track list count goes up. In the end he's created a more chilled, less mind-blowing screwed and chopped album than he has before, which means like DJ Screw he's the rare chopper who can evolve. Don't expect to get blown away, but this hazy remix of Birdman's best album will surely sooth the inner-thug.