The Source Awards Bun B’s Trill OG 5 Mics

In a surprise move, the Source magazine has awarded Bun B’s new album Trill OG a perfect rating.

The iconic mics instead of standard star ratings have been untilized by the magazine since the early 90s. Throughout that decade, 5 mic ratings were rare and coveted by artists.

The Source explained that their group of writers (known as the “Mind Squad”) made their decision based on four key categories.

“Artists reviewed in the new issue include Eminem [Recovery], Rick Ross [Teflon Don], Big Boi [Sir Lucious Left Foot – The Son of Chico Dusty], Fat Joe [The Darkside Vol.1], Drake [Thank Me Later] and The Roots [How I Got Over],” the magazine disclosed in a statement on their website. “Each album went through meticulous review from the Source’s ‘Mind Squad’ across different categories that included originality, lyrical content, arrangement and production. Trill OG scored high enough to receive 5 mics, the holy grail of Hip-Hop ratings, granting it admission into an elite club of timeless musical compositions that span over 20 years.”

Trill OG hit stores yesterday (August 3) and is Bun’s third studio album. It features appearances Drake, T-Pain, Tupac, DJ Premier, Slim Thug and Pimp C.

Bun B’s album joins Aquemini, The Fix and Grip It! On That Other Level as the only albums from Southern artists to receive perfect scores.

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This is definitely a curve ball I didn’t see coming. I was certain The Roots or possibly Big Boi would get the nod, although none of the albums they reviewed deserve a classic score.

None of the albums up there are bad, but this doesn’t help rebuild The Source’s reputation. Their review intregrity went out the window when Lil Kim’s 2005 album Naked Truth got a perfect score amid rumors that owner Dave May was sleeping with Kim’s manager. I doubt Bun had any under the table deadlings with The Source, as the crew from 2005 is long gone. But it does nothing for the magazine’s rep to bestow such lofty praise on any album that doesn’t deserve it just to get attention.

It’s no different than when XXL gave The Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury a perfect score. It comes across as a shock tactic and erodes the public’s perception of what qualifies as timeless, seminal material in our culture. The Illmatics, Low End Theorys and Chronic’s of the genre shouldn’t be devalued by attempting to award good albums with classic distinction.

Hindsight is always 20/20, though. At its core, the review is simply an informed opinion. And we know some writers are better informed than others. History proved Naked Truth and Hell Hath No Fury’s ratings to be incorrect. Trill OG’s impact remains to be seen.