Too Hard to Swallow might be Port Arthur, Texas smack-talkers Bun B and Pimp C's major-label debut, but sonically, it's the duo's sparsest record, with scratchy soul samples wrapped around skeletal drum-machine patterns and tempos that range from laidback to positively woozy. Their reality-driven storytelling matches the sound: “Pocket Full of Stones” and “Feel Like I’m the One Who’s Doin Dope” are eerie, silver-tongued hustler dramas, and the Bill Withers-sampling “Use Me Up” is equal parts spite and soul.