After debuting with the Odd Squad mid-decade, he'd become a somewhat reluctant solo star with 1998's The Dude. Now officially rechristened "Devin The Dude" by Scarface, he'd enjoyed some high profile successes: appearing on the hit single "Sex Faces" with 'Face, Too $hort and Tela; as well as guesting on "F**k You" from Dr. Dre's multiplatinum-selling 1999 album 2001. But even with superstar co-signs, Devin was adamant about remaining Devin. His sophomore album would still be the Texas rapper remaining true to himself, but there was definitely a bigger budget this time around.

"The only difference was half of [this[ album was done in L.A." Devin explains to RTB. "We did half of it in Houston, and we went out to L.A. for a few months to finish it up. That was really eye-opening. It was really different than the studios we were used to. It was just huge. So many different rooms, so many different instruments to choose from. Right at your fingertips—everything was just there."

The Oakwood Apartments in Burbank was the homebase. Rappers would come by and it was a sociable scene, everyone from Snoop Dogg to Xzibit dropped by to kick it with the Coughee Brothaz. "We couldn't go nowhere, so we'd try to call up for some weed," Devin recalls with a chuckle. "And they'd say 'you don't really have to go nowhere for weed.'"

The crew discovered they could have marijuana brought directly to them, under the guise of listing it as "renting guitars" on the official studio budget. "Everyday, we rented out guitars," he says, laughing. "We had so many guitar rentals on there. Pretty soon, I was like 'what about a grand piano?'"

Beyond smoking the finest California tree, Devin and Co. found themselves in a musical groove while working on his second album. And now, major names were coming through to work with him. Dr. Dre had gotten to know Devin The Dude after working on 2001, and The Doctor contributed the standout track "It's A Shame" to what was becoming Just Tryin' Ta Live. With Pooh Bear singing on the hook, the song was a track that Dre reportedly dreamt.

"He was telling me about how him and Snoop used to listen to the Odd Squad demo tape when they were on tour. A couple of songs they mentioned I was surprised they listened to." Devin marveled at how Dre put projects together; with a keyboardist, a bassist, a drum machine programmer all on-hand. He crafted reference tracks in minutes, and Devin was put to the test. "But it was so many fire tracks. I got down to about fifteen," Devin says of the songs he'd chosen from Dre. "Other times, he'd have tracks laid to the side with you in mind."

Just Tryin' To Live would feature no shortage of major producers. Not only did Dr. Dre contribute, but N.O. Jean, Mike Dean and DJ Premier all have credits on the project. The Texas-born Preemo is one of the East Coast's most revered producers, but his southern roots shine on the stellar "Doobie Ashtray," a metaphorical look at over-extending oneself—or a story about your friends smoking up all your weed, depending on how you look at it.

"It was pretty much based on a true story," "We was at the studio in my house, we was runnin' outta weed and I had a lot of doobies in my tray. But we were running out of beer, so I had to make a beer run. It was only about 10-15 minutes. When I got back, all the doobies disappeared and was gone!"

"They couldn't clear the sample," Devin says about the song. "He found that out. My manager Rico got in touch with him and...he just asked me to send the acapella mix out to him. In two or three days, he had a reference track. We were about to wrap up the album. There was only about two weeks or so; se didn't have much time, there wasn't a lot of time for production to happen. He did it quick and sent it back and I listened to it over the phone and I was like 'man, that's jamming, but where are the cuts?'"

The hilarious "I Hi" has the kind of psychedelic Odd Squad production that made the crew famous, as Devin once again flexes his storytelling muscle and his self-deprecating sense of humor. Songs like "R&B" became Devin staples, the ode to "reefer an' beer" is quintessentially Devin: stoned out and smooth, with the rapper providing comedic voices as he details a trip to a redneck bar to get fucked up. "Who's That Man, Moma" is another winking look at the life of Devin; this time the rapper examines how a young fan might receive some of his raunchier material.

Suave House legend T-Mix is behind the boards for "Some of 'Em." The track features some of the Memphis rap beatsmith's most distinct production, and it boasts guest verses from Xzibit and Nas. Tracks like "Whatever" and "Would Ya?" trade in the kind of gleeful misogyny that would have Devin trending across social media in the 2020s, but they're put across with his tongue-in-cheek humor and wit. His knack for comedic sex raps is on full display in the latter, and Devin is in rare form, slyly propositioning and poking fun all at once.

Even with so many major names behind the boards, there's a cohesiveness to Just Tryin' To Live, as well as an undeniable polish. Devin credits Mike Dean's presence with being a guiding force for the entire project.

"Mike Dean was pretty much like the glue around there. I call him 'the Rap-A-Lot Rick Rubin,'" Devin explained. Dean's expertise was the guiding light for the sessions. "Between him, 'Face, N.O. Joe—there were so many around there that kind of learned from each other. He had a lot to teach. And he was so willing to teach you anything you wanted to know about the studio."

Raphael Saadiq guests on the ode to relationships "Just A Man." Devin's skills as a crooner have always been evident, and his chemistry with the soulful singer-songwriter is formidable. The song is one of the most heartfelt moments on the album, as Devin gets introspective about infidelity while maintaining his ever-present sense of humor.

"He reached out to me for the Baby Boy soundtrack," Devin explained. "I was so shocked and surprised and enthused about working with him." But Devin was anxious to see what they'd craft together. When they met at the studio, he was surprised. "I was met at the door with that good-good! That Oakland!"

Mississippi's David Banner helms the album's title track, a song that aptly sums up the spirit of the album. The slow-rolling southern groove of "Just Tryin' To Live" is the appropriate album closer, as it sounds like Devin cruising off into the night, hazily rapping in his Lacville '79 and reflecting on the road that got him here. And expertly capping an album that would be one of his best.

Just Tryin' To Live avoids so many of the typical trappings of early 2000s rap; there is no preoccupation with flossing or dusting off enemies and haters. Devin instead opts for endlessly relatable stories about weed, sex and his boys; all delivered with more insight and observational brilliance than many, more "serious" albums from Hip-Hop's most acclaimed. In opting for everymanism, Devin The Dude stood out amongst the crowd.

"Working with Dre and Premier was a huge thing for me, man. I thought 'I made it!'" Devin says now. "Just being around those cats was an experience, it let me know the kind of work ethic [needed]."

...To Live didn't become a huge commercial seller, but it cemented Devin The Dude as one of the best album-makers in Hip-Hop. And, in recording with some titanic talents, it gave Devin a blueprint for how to push himself as an artist.

"The final product matched exactly what I wanted," he says. "I didn't want it to blow up and be real big. I didn't want to be some famous celebrity guy. I just wanted to remain Devin. That's it. I didn't even want to call myself 'The Dude.' Face gave me that name because of the album! The album came out exactly how I wanted it to because I had so much help. Big names and friends I grew up with."