Fallen Brooklyn drill rapper-turned-superstar Pop Smoke had a career that was as short as it was promising. The slain rapper’s posthumous debut album — Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon— not only debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 (being certified platinum only one month after its release), but also accomplished the rare feat of having all 19 of its tracks simultaneously chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Spawning four RIAA certified platinum singles in “Mood Swings,” “For The Night,” “The Woo” and “Dior.”
The Canarsie, Brooklyn bred artist — whose death at only 20-years-old on February, 19 resulting from a botched robbery— was justly honored at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards. Migos stalwart, Quavo, led the tributes with a two-song performance of collaborations he shared with the late rapper. Beginning with “Shake the Room” off of Pop Smoke’s first project of 2020, Meet the Woo 2 and following up with “Aim for the Moon,” from his latest LP.
With adjustments made for COVID-19, the Atlanta emcee performed his portion of the records in a music video style setting, being placed in a white, futuristic, space-themed room, while images of the perished neophyte and his lyrics appeared in the background.
Despite no longer being among us, Pop Smoke’s presence in popular culture is unwavering, with the “Welcome to the Party” rapper also being awarded best new Hip Hop artist in his lone nomination of the night.
The success of his latest project has also proven to be a legacy booster as Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, recently reclaimed the top spot on the Billboard 200, three-months after its original release. And with a new music video for “Aim for the Moon” recently shared, it’s clear that new content for Pop Smoke is still in the works.
NYC’s first outdoor cycling studio — BYKlyn Yard— has been partnering up with DJ mixing competition Vibes Music Game, to bring music lovers a fun and safe outdoor experience that many might have been craving, in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Located at 421 Dean Street in downtown Brooklyn, the Yard began as an outdoor cycling studio that offered a safe way to stay fit during turbulent times, hosting 40 cycling classes per week. Yet, with normalcy disrupted for the foreseeable future, the Yard is host to another form of socializing that has gone awry as a result of the virus. “From the start, we wanted to host events beyond cycling that bring people together — something we all miss and crave right now,” explains1 BYKlyn CEO and founder Amy Glosser.”
In turn, they have partnered with Vibes Music Game. A competition that brings together up-and-coming DJ’s to showcase their music, mixing skills and entertainment potential. At the BYKlyn Yard, each of the three New York City DJs get one Saturday night to hype the crowd and show off their style and music. “The VIBES Music Game grew out of the concept of friends passing around the auxiliary cord,” says VIBES Creator Jamahn Warren-Bey. “These jam sessions brought people together to share culture, dance and new music. Now we’re bringing that same vibe to the public in a fun game show.”
Events at BYKlyn Yard use the Sound Off Experience sound system, consisting of personal headsets instead of loud music, allowing participants to experience the atmosphere to the fullest, while not disrupting neighbors. And with a maximum capacity of 32, all events are COVID-19 friendly as everyone entering the BYKlyn Yard gets a temperature check, fills out a health questionnaire and wears a mask at all times. Groups can gather if they come together, otherwise, party-goers are encouraged to maintain distance.
Scheduled for every Saturday in October, silent parties at the BYKlyn Yard has hosted gatherings on 10/03, 10/10 with two more events set for the 17thand 24th. Beginning at 8 p.m., the final event (October 24), is a live-streamed battle. Like an improv show, the audience names the genre and the DJs mix their music on the spot. The audience, both live and virtual, vote on the winner.
More information about BYKlyn Yard events can be found here and tickets to Saturday dance parties cost $20 a person and can be purchased here.
After a groundbreaking debut album — Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — and a host of successful solo projects (GZA’s Liquid Swords, Method Man’s Tical, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, to name a few), the clan were in high-demand. They had accomplished a rare feat in the world of music. It established many of their members as individual stars, whose popularity could rival the group’s.
The ego that accompanies success of such magnitude is liable to create division within any faction. It helped break up the Fugees. The clan is no ordinary group. Displaying their idiosyncrasy within a world of hip hop came with the release of their second LP, 1997’s Wu Tang Forever. The lead single “Triumph,” was a record that rang through the air waves. It was the first (and only) song where all nine Clan members rapped on. Moreover, it also introduced affiliate and later member Cappadonna.
The record ran for 5 minutes and 38 seconds, with no chorus or break, except for the energetic opening monologue from Ol’ Dirty Bastard and a short interlude. Inspectah Deck began the track, followed by Method Man, Cappadonna, ODB’s interlude, U-God, RZA, GZA, Masta Killa, Ghostface Killah, with Raekwon concluding the record.
About the Track
In an interview with Power 106 radio station, RZA broke down the production on the record. He divulged that they recorded “Triumph” in Los Angeles. Musically he combined his new Yamaha keyboard V71 series with his ASR-10, MPC and Nord lead keyboard. His goal was to make a track with classical sounds, but still grab hip-hop with a touch of soul. While the drums meet classic hip hop, the strings added a new element.
When asked about not having a chorus, he explained that for every Wu-Tang project, he wanted to have a song that reminded the people of their first record “Protect Ya Neck” with great rapping and a strong beat to compliment.
Speaking to DJ Vlad, Inspectah Deck — whose opening verse is one of the most-heralded in hip hop history — he acknowledged that using his “Triumph” verse twice helped his legacy, as it was originally recorded for Tony Touch’s 50 MC’sVol. 1 tape. RZA made the beat at around 5 a.m., as he and Ol Dirty Bastard were the only ones up. Inspectah Deck explains he could hear the kicks and snares from his room. He knew it was a smash-hit. He got up and asked to get on the record. Later that day the rest of the group had jumped on as well, because his verse was so outstanding.
Sampled to Example
“Triumph” samples “Just Found Me” and its multiple elements of soul, disco and fuck music, by the Rance Allen Group. It also sampled “To the Garden of the Temple” from the 1983 film Duel to the Death, and some lyrics from “Da Mystery of Chessboxin” from the Clan’s own 36 chambersLP.
Besides the mind-blowing lyrics and production, “Triumph” is known for its incredible video, with Rush Hourdirector Brett Ratner behind the camera. It was one of the more expensive music videos of 1997 costing around $800,000. The video begins with breaking news: a massive swarm of killer bees attacking New York. Ol Dirty Bastard is up on a skyscraper surrounded by police helicopters and officers with their guns drawn.
Interesting enough, ODB wasn’t actually in the video. Always one to act on a whim, Ol’ Dirty was uninterested in filming the video since he didn’t have an official verse, he left the set before filming began. It forced the director to get a stand in.
Inspectah Deck is seen climbing the side of the building when “ODB” jumps off, as the bees follow in his path. Meanwhile Method Man and the other Clan members arrive on motorcycles, shooting fireballs at the bees. The bees are then seen passing through Cappadonna’s lair while U-God is seen burning down the forest. RZA appears with angel-like wings, later transforming into the killer bees and killing the Alcatraz prison guards. We then see GZA from space viewing the mayhem. A celestial God like figure.
During GZA’s verse there is a brief cut to the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, he then makes a gesture to the bees and they swarm back down to Manhattan in the form of Masta Killa who stood on a tower in the form of the Wu-Tang Symbol. A crowd gathering around him. At the end of the video, the bees make their way to a club where Ghostface and Raekwon are raping, with Quincy Jones is in the audience.
One of the strangest and creative visuals in hip hop history “Triumph” changed how people looked at videos all together.
Lyrical Highlights
While he didn’t have an official verse, Ol’ Dirty Bastard left his mark in his own unique way.
“What? Y’all thought y’all wasn’t gonna see me?
I’m the Osiris of this shit
Wu-Tang is here forever, motherfuckers
This like, this ’97”
Inspectah Deck began the song with his now-legendary verse that made him known as hip hop’s “set it off” man. He makes listeners immediately wake up with his intricate rhyme patterns and word choices, taking over the record.
“I bomb atomically, Socrates’ philosophies and hypotheses
Can’t define how I be dropping these mockeries
Lyrically perform armed robbery
Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me
Battle-scarred Shogun, explosion when my pen hits tremendous
Ultraviolet shine blind forensics
I inspect you through the future see millennium
Killa Beez sold fifty gold, sixty platinum
Shackling the masses with drastic rap tactics”
Cappadonna rapped like he had something to prove being that he had to live up to what the others were doing. He wasn’t an official member at that point but you couldn’t tell with how he was flowing.
“I twist darts from the heart, tried and true
Loop my voice on the LP
Martini on the slang rocks, certified chatterbox
Vocabulary ‘Donna talking, tell your story walking”
Creating A Legacy
“Triumph” is one of Wu-Tangs most legendary tracks and it holds a special place in hip hop history. Their rapping ability was never in doubt, but the music video gave them a chance to showcase their visual creativity. As we look back at some of Wu-Tangs best tracks, “Triumph” stands the test of time because it epitomizes Wu-Tang Forever and as the lead single it exceeded expectations, as many radio stations and labels initially didn’t want to run the record because they felt it was too long. It’s safe to say, the Clan proved all doubters wrong.
Harlem-native, Kyle Stockman, has suffered through an unexpected 2020 along with many fellow Americans. After receiving buzz on singles “Opal” and “Sunday,” the Shooting Star singer believed it was best to combine his passion and interests by majoring in music at Hudson Valley Community College.
The curriculum was not as progressive as Stockman had hoped. He already self-taught much of the course. Out of that, came Solace. A multi-instrumental laden record that serves as a chameleon amongst the genres. Containing elements of folk, pop, rock and R&B.
With the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic making classes virtual, he decided this was the time to abandon ship and focus on his latest. Stockman’s retreat to the studio ensued, trying out new beats and entering his sound.
“That’s what my music is geared for, I love the dark rawness of songs that bring out emotion.”
Kyle Stockman
In it, Stockman croons about a breakup. First, he tries to find closure in a relationship’s end, dejectedly singing, “you left the heart baby, but you took my soul. It’s clear you don’t care about the way things go.”
He goes on hashing out his feelings towards his significant other. He searches for “solace” in the solitude that comes with life after a breakup.
“I make music for people who could be going through a break up, or lost someone close to them, [anything] that’s hard to deal with that at the moment,” says the indie crooner. Stockman is having fun making records and puts his soul into his music.
His brand of Indie-pop R&B is drawn from the likes of Frank Ocean. “Frank Ocean is who I’m into the most right now. I love his album Blonde for its simplicity [and] the rawness the emotion it incites. For me, that project was a masterpiece. I know that it got a lot of mixed reviews at the time but, the more I listened, the more I got what he was trying to convey. I try to make my music the same way, so you can feel the emotion.”
Griselda emcees refuse to rest on their laurels. A week after the label’s visionary/founder Westside Gunn released what he announced would be his final album, his cousin — and arguably the label’s best rapper — announced his latest project and it is more star-studded than ever. Burden of Proof, the upcoming studio album from rapper Benny The Butcher will bookend what has been an increasingly productive year for the Buffalo-bred rap crew.
While the album’s existence was no surprise (Benny the Butcher had been teasing a project for weeks on his various social media outlets), the Shady records signee revealed a list of features as well as a release date. October 16th will see the release of the much-anticipated project, which is two weeks after Westside Gunn’s WHO MADE THE SUNSHINE and a month after Conway the Machine’s From King To A GOD.
With Griselda’s ever-growing popularity, we are starting to see more diverse features and song choices in each respective album. Known for their grungy street-tales, chorus and catchy melodies aren’t a part of the Griselda package, yet this list of features gives a hint that this latest project will see BTB try his hand at different song arrangements. Produced entirely by famed producer Hit-Boy (who also handled the entirety of the production on Nas’ latest album), Burden Of Proof will feature the likes of Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Freddie Gibbs, West Coat emcee Dom Kennedy, popular up-and-coming R&B songstress Queen Najia, as well as his cousins and frequent collaborators, Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn. This is an important album in what seems to be a concentrated effort to solidify the Buffalo trio as the prominent emcees in not just their city, but the whole state of New York as a whole, a tittle that has never been held by anyone not from the five boroughs.
Westside Gunn isn’t new to the music industry, with his first EP dating back to 2005. In that time, he has individually and collaboratively released over 20 projects. Yet, his latest LP — Who Made the Sunshine — (his first under Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope records) and what he claims will be his last ever, feels different and Westside Gunn is treating it differently.
From celebrating his Entertainment Weekly feature, to posting nostalgic pictures and videos of his journey, Westside Gunn displays a mixture of hubris and humility that comes with a certain level of ascendency.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzs63wFpa3/
Over the past few years, we’ve seen the extravagant emcee and his Griselda cohorts slowly rise to mainstream stardom and it feels like the one they call “Fly God” is finally taking time out to revel in the fruits of his labor.
Only 3 more months left and I’m still at peace with my decision but this will be a dope 3 months I promise u that 🤲🏽🤲🏽 #FLYGOD
In the streaming era, lengthy waits between projects are no more, as this is his third project of the year. The first was the critically-acclaimed, Pray for Paris, which gained album of the year considerations. The second, was the more unassuming — but solid — Flygod Is an Awesome God 2. The last, an 11-track, 40-minute album that contains elements that are unique only to Westside Gunn.
The wrestling-themed song titles, unique and eye-catching covers, as well as the customary features. There are the usual suspects on Who Made the Sunshine, including Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine (who have a long-standing family history of appearing on each other’s projects), Detroit emcee and Griselda signee Boldy James and the self-titled “first lady” of Griselda, Armani Caesar.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2MejdFLF0/
Aside from his Griselda associates, Westside Gunn features hip hop legends the likes of: Black Thought, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes and most surprising of all, Slick Rick. Recognized for his unique presentation, nothing is off the table for the Griselda head honcho and it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks to his retirement as a rapper once this much-anticipated album has been digested.
In a year mired in social and political unrest, it is only fitting that legendary hip hop group Public Enemy returns for their first album in three years, and the first under the Def Jam umbrella in almost three decades.
Known for their stern political commentary, P.E. has served as an inspiration for a number of thought-provoking emcees and it seems they have deemed their work incomplete with the release of What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
The album features classic hip hop acts such as: Cypress Hill and rapper turned actor Ice-T, production from the one-and-only DJ Premier and a remake of the group’s most infamous record, “Fight The Power.” The star-studded remix features Nas, West coast emcee Rapsody, Roots front-man Black Thought, Jahi, as well as YG & Questlove.
In an interview on TNT’s popular late-night basketball talk show Inside the NBA, Chuck D was interviewed by basketball legends Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, where he revealed his motivations for the latest project. On the meaning behind the album’s tittle, Chuck D reveals, “using the platform of music to make a statement. Beware of government tricks on the way to the voting poll. This has been a strange year and we want people to be prepared and aware.”
While trends in music are anachronistic, Public Enemy’s brand of passionate and demanding form of politically charged hip-hop has maintained relevancy. With their efforts being one of the reasons that commentary on the plights of minorities has become ubiquitous.
On a day clouded by social media turmoil featuring Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion, A$AP Ferg has quietly released Floor Seats II, the sequel to his 2019 EP, Floor Seats. Looking to follow-up on the success of its predecessor, which spawned hit records like “Jet Lag” and “Floor Seats.”
This latest project comes on the heels of reported disfunction within the A$AP collective. A$AP mob founding member A$AP Illz has accused the 31-year-old Harlem-bred emcee of stealing ideas and claimed the “Plain Jane” rapper’s affiliation with the Mob was over.
Not one to go back-and-forth through the media, Ferg has predictably kept quiet, relying on his art to do the talking for him. The 10-track project features a myriad of notable guest appearances that captures Ferg’s Kaleidoscopic approach to music.
The intro features rock & roll legend Marilyn Manson, while the star-studded tape also features: Lil Wayne, Tyga, Nicki Minaj, Puff Daddy, New York City up-and-comer Jay Gwuapo, as well as XXL 2020 Freshman Class members Fivio Foreign and Mulatto.
Known for his hard thumping and anthem-like records, Ferg and A$AP Mob affiliate A$AP Rocky, serve as the lynchpins the the group’s success. With their ascension as major players in hip hop, the collective has been able to venture successfully into other fields. With A$AP Bari’s successful Vlone brand a prime example. While the group’s dissimilation may seem in effect. For now though, A$AP Ferg still carries the moniker, and with an impressive resume of Billboard charting hits, his descension is certainly not imminent.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the whole world, either directly, or indirectly. As a response to the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo, has passed legislation that the states hope will help regulate COVID-19’s impact on the state. While guidelines for life during a pandemic are important, the broadness of certain rules has put many small businesses at risk of extinction. 443 social club
One of those venues, The 443 Social Club & Lounge in Syracuse is a place where those fond of live music can appreciate the ambience of a nice night out. A hub of live entertainment in their town, this restaurant seats 88 people but, as a result of the pandemic, it has operated with only 36-person capacity to meet state guidelines.
While the reduced customer base hurt business, it had allowed a mom-and-pop style business to stay afloat. That is until, a new wrinkle in New York state’s coronavirus guidelines for bars, restaurants and similar venues in New York state prohibits them from offering live music that customers pay for separately. The rule forced an immediate halt to The 443’s business. While they offer eatery, their main form of attraction is their live music.
Although we have all had to deal with the effects from COVID-19, actions like this towards small businesses still tug at the heart, knowing that hardworking individuals are in danger of losing their businesses, through no fault of their own.
The 443 Social Club & Lounge has chosen to take action, posting a letter to Governor Cuomo on their website that details, among other things, their compliance to COVID-19 rules, their determined attempts at keeping their business afloat, as well as the city’s mishandling of its small businesses. The letter is heartwarming and brings up questions, including ‘What was Governor Cuomo thinking with this new rule?’, and ‘How could they not have implemented any verbiage for small-capacity lounges?’ Let’s hope The 443 and other small businesses get an opportunity to get back on their feet, sooner rather than later.
Read below for The 443 Social Club & Lounge letter to Governor Cuomo, as originally posted on their website and socials.
Dear Mr. Cuomo –
I am a small business owner in Central New York. My husband and I operate an 88 seat cafe/bar that features listening room style acoustic performances. We had just celebrated our one year anniversary when COVID-19 hit.
When we closed our doors on March 15, I understood we would likely be shuttered for at least a few months. I understood we would be among the very last businesses allowed to reopen. There was a certain relief in letting go and accepting it, in understanding it was completely beyond my control. I had faith we would receive some kind of aid to help get us through, and for while we did.
I watched your daily press conferences religiously. With the vacuum in national leadership, I was grateful to be living in NY, grateful we had someone taking charge of the situation. Your no-nonsense, fact-based daily briefings were oddly comforting, even when NY’s numbers were high and the news you were sharing certainly wasn’t good.
Spring turned into summer and New York began it’s cautious, phased reopen.
We were busy reimagining our business so we’d be ready to go once CNY made it through the first few phases. We knew we would be facing an entirely new reality and there wasn’t a single aspect of our business that didn’t get retooled.
You can find the complete outline of what we did HERE.
We are classified as a restaurant, so we planned to reopen when indoor dining resumed in Phase 4. I checked with Empire State Development at the end of June to clarify the rules on live music. While we are classified as a restaurant, music is definitely our main focus. I was told it was allowed as “small scale entertainment”.
Well, it doesn’t get much smaller scale than our place, especially since we were going to be operating at about 40% capacity – just 36 people. We waited another month just to be sure numbers didn’t spike with everyone moving around again before we started planning a very limited schedule.
And then things got weird.
You declared food must be ordered by anyone who wanted an alcoholic beverage. The intention was to keep people seated, I get that, but keeping people seated was not an issue at our place to begin with. Our guests were anxious to comply with the rules, but not always hungry when they arrived. So, sometimes they placed to-go orders to eat later, which didn’t really accomplish anything. It disrupted the natural rhythm of service, where guests used to relax and enjoy their first drink before ordering, and worst of all, it meant the entire room ordered their food at exactly the same time. It was a logistical nightmare for our tiny food prep area and I had to schedule another person to help at a time when we could least afford it.
But, we were settling into a groove and figuring it all out. We planned to take advantage of the last 6 weeks of good weather and outdoor shows when you dropped the hammer.
On August 18 I learned about the new SLA rules prohibiting us from advertising or charging a fee for live music. I read it, then reread it, incredulous.
Prior to COVID, almost all our shows had a fee associated with them. It’s the only way the business model works financially in a small room and it’s important to us that everyone is paid fairly. With drastically reduced capacity, cover charges and tickets are more important than ever. We thought more venues charging for live music was one of the few bright spots in this whole mess…it’s healthy for our music scene to put a financial value back into the experience. And obviously, tickets are the best way to control a crowd.
The ban on advertising music is astonishingly cruel. We are all doing our level best to make our limited capacity work and now you’re telling us we cannot advertise to fill the few seats we do have? Are we are supposed to just open our doors and hope for the best?
We closed our doors again, wasting thousands of dollars we spent to reopen.
Governor Cuomo, we are DROWNING.
We are frantically treading water to keep our noses above the surface until (hopefully) some federal aid comes through. You looked at us, and instead of throwing us a life preserver you handed us a cinder block and told us to keep treading water.
The last 6 weeks of warm weather might have sustained our businesses for a bit longer, but the new guidelines have taken away even that flimsy lifeline.
In your August 9 press conference, the very last question was about bringing back live entertainment and Broadway. You said there were no plans to reopen “Broadway and other indoor, high-density arenas”.
And this is the main point of my letter.
“Live Entertainment” is far more than Broadway and far more than “high-density arenas”…and literally nobody is suggesting we open those things right now.
It is small rooms like mine that don’t even come near the 50 person gathering limit.
It is wineries and breweries who have acres of wide-open space to spread out their guests.
It is the venues who cut their capacity down to almost nothing and are doing a hybrid of a small live performance + paid live stream.
It is the rooms that moved all their events to their parking lot or back yard.
It’s different for everyone, but tickets and advertising are fundamentally necessary whether we are trying to fill 20 seats, 200 seats, or 2000.
And yes, live entertainment is also crowded rooms and mosh pits and huge amphitheaters packed full of people. We aren’t asking for that. Nobody is asking for that. We are asking you to allow hundreds of small businesses across New York State to be allowed to reopen and run their venues with all reasonable precautions in place. We have spent thousands of dollars to adapt to do it as safely as possible because we understand and respect how serious COVID-19 is.
But you know what else is serious?
Losing a business we’ve invested our life savings into. Putting our staff out of work. Our city losing one of its few dedicated music venues. Musicians losing a place to ply their craft. Our community of music lovers losing their gathering place.
You have told us we have 99.2% compliance with bars and restaurants right now. Why are the 99.2% paying such a steep price for the non-compliant .8%?
We have waited patiently throughout this whole saga and watched every other industry open up without any corresponding spikes in cases. For the most part, we haven’t even been part of the conversation. But time is running out. Many of us will be closing our doors for good in the next few weeks.
We are about to become collateral damage in the war on COVID-19, and Governor Cuomo – I know this is not your intention.
I know you have a lot going on and “live music” probably sounds like a hobby people are supposed to give up once they get out of college. WE ARE MORE THAN THAT. We are musicians, venue owners, sound and light techs, production, security, hospitality. We are savvy, smart, creative, and ridiculously hardworking. We feed other businesses like hotels, restaurants, and shops, plus our everyday vendors – trash, payroll, insurance, linen service, food, and liquor. We are the first ones to donate and support fundraisers for our neighbors in need. We are a port in the storm where you can forget about all that’s wrong in the world, if only for a few hours.
We are respectfully asking for the chance to try and salvage our businesses before it’s too late.
In the most recent installment of his Karma mixtape series, Harlem rapper Dave East makes his latest attempt at solidifying himself as one of New York’s head honchos. The 15-track, 53-minute project features notable guest appearances. Trey Songz, French Montana, Benny the Butcher, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, dancehall artist Popcaan, along with R&B legend Mary J. Blige, all lend-a-hand, in what felt like East’s best attempt at a commercially successful project.
The mixtape opens up with arguable its best record. “Handsome” is a thumping and fast paced track where East confesses his life’s agendum, which are “to not break the code,” “try not to die,” and “praying that he gets old.” It is an ode to the lifestyle that many from the inner-city can have an appreciation for. In 2:53, East captures the hopes and dreams of a generation of men, which is wealth and health, while staying loyal to their compatriots. What makes the record even better is that, while it has a radio feel to it, the authenticity remains. And with it being just shy of 3 minutes, the replay value is high. He follows it up with a record that feels straight of a Caribbean crime film. Backed by loud and distinctive horns, “Unruly,” features Popcaan and serves as an antithesis to its predecessor. While “Handsome” described the perfect outcome from a life in the streets, “Unruly” sees East chronicle the dangers that come with operating on the other side of the law.
The third track is where the album takes a turn, in the Trey Songz assisted “The City,” East tries recreating one of Jay Z’s better records “Heart of the City.” While a noble attempt, he lacks the soulfulness to pull it off. Not to mention, at the time of the original recording, Jay-Z was arguably the biggest rapper in the game and thus metaphorically was the “Heart of the City.” We do not think of Dave East in the same vain (or any current New York rapper for that matter). The same issue follows him on the fourth track, “Get the Money.” It’s a solid enough song, as he details his chase for financial prosperity. A god-awful French Montana chorus — along with a bridge that sees Dave East try his hand at harmonizing – completely derail it. He completes a hat-trick of melodically challenged songs with “Thank God.” Featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie, East tries his hand at a club record, but the song never takes off, as the duo lack chemistry and it ultimately ends up feeling forced.
This ebb-and-flow continues throughout, as the best records see East stay in own pocket, solid beats, along with well put together verses, while his attempts at diversifying himself see him fall short. “Said What I Said,” “Broke or Not,” “Mission,” “Menace” and the Three 6 Mafia inspired “F**ck Dat,” are all good songs. While “Stone Killer,” — featuring Benny the Butcher — is absolutely explosive. The Mary J. Blige assisted “Know How I feel,” was a nice surprise as East meshed well with the r&b icon. Yet, for some reason, it did not serve as the outro. That was reserved for the self-reflective “Believe It or Not,” and while it is a good enough record, it left the project a bit anti-climactic.
All in all, this is a solid body of work, yet it feels as though the pressure for commercial success inspired a few of the songs. The problem is, Dave East isn’t and will probably never be a top-selling (or charting) artist and that’s okay. While he hasn’t led New York back to dominance as some predicted, his abilities as a rapper is still a rare and valuable commodity in this current era of New York hip hop.
