Category Archives: NYC

We Don’t Knock We Shoot through the Door

13 Saturday Feb 2021

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Fivio Foreign – Trust

Sorry to leave you all for so long, I’ve been super lazy about posting lately and have had a lot of my attention tied up with a lot going on (mostly good things dont worry). I’m back in the saddle now, didn’t realize I hadn’t posted in almost 6 weeks, probably the longest I’ve ever went without a post! I also just celebrated my 34th birthday this week, where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was a youngster listening to Dipset, Max B, Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame for the first time and that was probably about 15 years ago now. Still have to post my January list although it will be shorter than usual.

Haters will say that Fivio raps in bullet points… does it really matter when the bullet points are all fire? Fivio really is the king of New York right now, and has been since last spring in my opinion (although he mentions in the first verse here that he could care less about who holds this title). This AXL beat has me ready to go to war and I’m a nerd.

This first verse/hook is flames… one of the hardest I’ve heard Fivio go… they may be bullet points but he’s turning the bullets into an art form, and as far as I’m concerned that’s called being an innovator…

“War
Everybody on the floor
We don’t knock we shoot through the door
We give a fuck who the king of New York
I say what I mean when I talk
the hood ain’t showing no remorse
gun fights in the hall
bullets going through the walls
My niggas cripping for a cause”

P.S. I grew up as a Mets fan but I kind of want that blue and green Yankees hat Fivio’s boy is wearing at 0:49, so hard

My Nigga Walked Out of Court, Then Hopped in a Wraith

12 Sunday Jul 2020

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Pop Smoke – Bad Bitch from Tokyo

Damn I’m feeling this 48 second intro from Pop Smoke’s album. Add this to the list of ‘good’ album intros. This goes hard af, there’s just something captivating about it that grabs your attention and I love the way it blends into the next track too, which is exactly what an intro is supposed to do. Whether he’s referring to ‘his’ killer i.e. one of his guys or ‘his killer’ meaning someone who might kill him, the “I look my killer in his eyes, we talking face to face” line is super eerie in retrospect given what happened.

I’ve been listening to this album a lot over the past week and change and while there are certainly a few tracks I would to swap in other tracks for and some filler, as you’d expect from a major label release, I’d say it’s definitley one of the best ‘major’ albums I’ve listened to in quite some time. The Roddy Ricch/50 Cent flamenco song was fire, Make it Rain was hard AF and it was awesome to hear Rowdy on a track again, albeit through the jail phone, and I respect that they included his phoned in verse on the album’s lead single. This intro was dope, and Aim for the Moon and the Thief in the Night song definitley grew on me. Got It On Me was cool too. I was hoping to hear a Fivio verse on this album/surprised not to hear one given their connection and how big Fivio has gotten but Fivio has told fans to be patient so I’m assuming they have something on the deluxe version whenever that comes out. RIP to the young artist.

I Told Her Ooh-Woo-Woo-Wooooooooh

05 Sunday Jul 2020

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Pop Smoke ft. Roddy Ricch, 50 Cent – The Woo 

SHE WANNA FUCK WITH THE WOO-OOOO-OOO-OOO

The Woos are really taking center stage here

I’ve been bumping the new Pop Smoke album all 4th of July weekend and damnit Pop Smoke singing over this flamenco guitar beat is absolute fire.

As if that wasn’t enough, then you have Roddy Ricch swooping in sounding damn near like an angelic choir when he’s singing “inside of the cooo-oooo-ooo-uuupe”. Is Roddy Ricch the new Young Thug at this point?

I’m always down to get a new verse from Godfather Fif, who also executive produced the album.

RIP to the young king this guy, you can see this guy was going places and taking his game into all kinds of interesting new directions, and didn’t even get a chance to expand further.  You can see with this kind of material on this album, I think if he hadn’t been killed, I could picture this guy eventually becoming one of the biggest pop stars on the planet.

P.S. this was actually a surprisingly good article on Pop in the NY Times the other day, I think my favorite part is him meeting Marylin Manson and not knowing who he was because of course he wouldn’t lol

Planets Revolve, My Niggas Shoot Pistols

10 Sunday May 2020

Posted by in Long Island, NYC

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Stove God Cooks – Rolls Royce Break Lights 

I keep going back to the well of this Stove God album. This guy can really paint a picture but he’s not boring like the average ‘lyrical’ rapper and actually makes actual music that you want to come back to. (Case in point, even the god of function music himself, Martorialist, was feeling Money Puddles, calling it a Faux Marciano song with chutzpah, which all in all is a pretty apt description). This is just bar after bar after bar on the album’s opener, Rolls Royce Brake Lights.

I love the reprisal/flip of Drake’s ‘I just want to beee successful’ taking it from someone corporate like Drake and flipping it into the ambitions of a young stove god just trying to cook his way up in the game.

“I’m the truth, I’m the light I’m the way. Niggas broke, niggas fake, they in the way.”

P.S. after quite a few spins of the whole album I’m kind of intrigued by how many space/planetary/religious references there are are here and there sprinkled in amongst the drug raps.

A Couple of Fights that Still Need to get Fought

02 Saturday May 2020

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Fivio Foreign – Drive By 

One of the tres amigos behind last year’s ‘Waka’ is back with a new project, ‘800 BC’, and while the project is not as fun as Waka, and is in fact a very different, MUCH darker vibe, the whole project is fire, highlighted by the opener, ‘Drive By’.

It seems like since ‘Waka‘ (the post on Waka is actually by far the most read post on this website, believe it or not), Fivio Foreign has  only gotten bigger and bigger, for example releasing probably the biggest Brooklyn drill song to date (Big Drip), getting a Meek Mill feature on this project, to now going where perhaps no Brooklyn drill rapper has gone before, getting a feature on Drake’s new album. Say what you want about Drake, but he’s the unparalleled expert of latching onto the buzz of new rappers and scenes right as they’re blowing up (i.e. Lil Baby, Blocboy JB), so this certainly solidifies Fivio’s star status and perhaps that of Brooklyn Crip rappers and Brooklyn drill itself. I had actually been bumping the 800 B.C. tape and ‘Drive By’ in particular all week so imagine my surprise when I lazily clicked to see the tracklist of the unexpected new Drake album on Friday morning and saw that Fivio was one of the few features.

If I had to define Fivio’s ‘identity’ or what makes him unique in the rap game, it would be hard to pinpoint an exact feature but I’d point to his heart, grit, aggression/anger, and that he just absolutely HATES opps. ‘Drive By’ is the perfect example of that. It’s a total tour de force by an artist just coming into his own and reflecting on both the triumphs and losses on the road to get here as well as where he’s going next.  The beat is sick and almost a calm backdrop to the anger that Fivio punishes the track with; I’d describe the vibe of ‘Drive By’ as almost apocalyptic, it’s Fivio riding around the ruins of the city in a tank after he won a war there and surveying the damage and carnage of his victory.

“The opps tell me we be going too hard, we be shooting too much we be going too far”

“I’ve got wolves I’m still feeding them off. I’ve got money so I’m feeding them all. Stood tall when they needed to ball. Ten toes, two feet on the floor.”

“Fovvy, boss, now I could by me a loft. But I ain’t satisfied at all. Still got Fetty (?) in the fort. Going back and forth to court. Couple of fights that still need to get fought.” On the one hand he’s enjoying newfound success and touting the money and fame that signing a major label deal brings, but on the other hand he’s still focused on vengeance and settling old scores.

“Fovvy, I’m different. Everyone know that I’m gifted. 2 shots for the wicked. Pull up, silence, critics. It’s my crib you evicted.”

Also anyone else reminded of Chief Keef’s ‘Now it’s Over’ by the mansion and specifically the staircase?

I’m also loving the plain blue Balenciaga hat

(P.S. interestingly, Fivio was somehow left off of the ‘Waka’ remix featuring Waka Flocka himself?)

 

Let the Ds Fine the Strap in the Snow after I Toss it

14 Saturday Dec 2019

Posted by in Buffalo, NYC

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Griselda ft. 50 Cent – City on the Map 

I’m not a huge Griselda stan like some people so I’m not extensively familiar with all their work but I do like these guys especially Benny (I wish that they had given Benny a verse on this track) and I’ll check for their stuff, and it was nice to hear a new verse from the Godfather in 2019. I wasn’t sure what to expect since he hasn’t exactly been the most frequent rapper in recent years but he does a nice job here, kind of taking on a boss bad guy type role. “Chill, play it cool, til I come and get frostbit, let the D’s find the strap in the snow after I toss it.” I love the callousness and just casual disdain of ‘Let the D’s fine the strap in the snow after I toss it,” that’s trademark 50 right there. This isn’t something that I’ll put on every day but it’s nice east coast winter time type music for when you’re driving around with the heat on and wearing a hoodie with a hockey jersey over it or under your winter coat and some Timbs. (This song and the album as a whole).

Selassie I I Know Some Deadly Rastas

12 Wednesday Jun 2019

Posted by in Dipset, NYC, Uncategorized

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Jim Jones ft. Jadakiss, Philthy Rich – Don’t Know what They Took Him For 

This Heatmakerz beat is unbelievable. Almost makes me feel like I’m in the 80s watching some type of promotional video from one of those sketchy self-help gurus where the actors are talking about how good their lives are after they paid him to  walk over hot coals in his sketchy desert retreat and made his suggested life changes, or like a corporate training video from the same era telling you how to be a good employee. Or maybe even some sort of anti-drug PSA where the kids are talking about how great their lives are by not doing drugs. So many good Heatmakerz beats on Jim’s new album but this might be the best.

“On birthdays was the worst days, now I might pop $80 grand on a Thursday”. I love the over the top ‘Grrr’ ad lib after he mentions goons his goons purging which we’ve also seen previously in ‘Dipset Forever’ (the second coming of it). Ad lib game on point as always, and Jim does very well with the hook.

I’m never opposed to hearing what Jadakiss has to say and I obviously welcome the Phil feature. Jadakiss sounds like he’s in a very good place here (‘Count my blessings get my lessons out the Good Book’). Jim and Philthy have done some good work together before on ‘East Side‘ with Peezy. (Wish he would have gotten a Peezy feature for this album!) It’s kind of random that the Jim Jones album ends with a Philthy Rich verse but again I’m down with Philthy so I don’t really mind.

Harlem to Yonkers to Oakland

Side note: is Nef the Pharaoh locked up or is Philthy talking about a different Nef?

Still Going Cray on Em Like a Coloring Book

07 Friday Jun 2019

Posted by in Dipset, NYC

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Jim Jones ft. Fabolous, Marc Scibilia – Nothing Lasts 

Jones!

Yimmy is back with a new album El Capo to follow up on last year’s somewhat overlooked Wasted Talent. I can’t decide which I like better yet after a couple of listens but they’re both good. Jim is having a nice little Indian summer to his career with 2 straight solid albums in 2 years, and has evolved from probably the least checked for main member of Dipset (through no fault of his own) to arguably the most checked for and is going the strongest of all them with the most consistent output. After a couple of spins so far I’m really feeling this one, Mama I Made It, and Don’t Know What they Took Him For (which has a Philthy cameo!).

I can’t decide if ‘Still going cray on them like a coloring book is one of the best lines I’ve ever heard in a rap song or one of the worst lines I’ve ever heard in a rap song.

This production with the Lionel Richie sample is sounding downright godly. Heatmakerz have a lot of nice beats on this album. I’m not sure who the hell Marc Scibliani is or why he’s all over every song on this album but he doesn’t sound bad on the hook here so I can’t hate, and let’s be honest no one could ruin this sample. Imagine if Jim wanted to get a little wavy and got El Debarge on the hook? Or if he was hellbent on going down the white R&B singer route for whatever reason, if he sprung for like a Michael McDonald or the guy from Hall and Oates or something? Lol. Either way Jim definitley has a nice smooth summer jam on his hands here. In a perfect world this would be a summer hit on radio.

She Gon Shake it like Bachata, I’ma Hit it Like Pinata

27 Saturday Apr 2019

Posted by in NYC

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Ether x Fivio Foreign x Swipey – Waka 

THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE SONG 

You can’t tell me this isn’t hot!

From the fact that it’s loosely a Waka Flocka Flame homage in 2019 to the Mexican sombreros to the ridiculously fuego spin move that they choreographed at 0:33 I’m down with everything going on here and want more of it.  This is the hottest song I’ve heard out of NYC (or pretty much anywhere) in a minute. Only in NY could you hear a rap song with no Hispanics in it mentioning bachata, pandejo, etc.  The beat is dummy hard too.

“Oh let’s do it like I’m Waka, met her out in Opa Locka, baked potato with the lobster, that’s my baby – Goo… Gaga”.

Added bonus in the Youtube comments is a female Doordash delivery driver saying that she watched the video because these guys told her to check it out when she delivered food to them.

This always amorphous Brooklyn GD/Blood/Crip beef is serious and Game of Thrones-level complicated but I think these guys are Envy Caine’s (who I’ve posted here before) opps based on my extensive research of Youtube comments but like I said last time I don’t want to wade into all that I’ve got love for everyone I’m just here to enjoy the slaps. I’ve got to check out more of these guys’ videos.

P.S. for the record I’m definitely strongly in favor of silkies making this big comeback in 2019 I’ve been seeing them everywhere lately.

Couple of Dave East Loosies

06 Thursday Dec 2018

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Dave East – No Pork / Kiing Shooter ft. Dave East – 30 Percent 

Welcome to the Pink C Bodega where we got two Dave East loosies for a dollar.

Coincidentally we’re staying on our recent NYC Crip wave with this post although now we’re heading from Brooklyn uptown to Harlem.

East has me lacing up my Timbs and throwing on a big Marmot jacket with this first one. The smooth ‘No Pork’ might be the magnum opus of East’s career thus far. It’s a ‘classic’ sounding NYC rap song done right without sounding dusty or too formulaic. This is that classic wintertime music, and the type of track that you want to play while you’re hunkering down at the crib or out on a rare nice sunny day in the winter. East goes into full-on nostalgia/story-telling mode as he takes us on a trip down memory lane through the ups and downs of his life growing up in Harlem.

“I told Shooter (see below) we gon get rich no matter what, they was happy when we was down now when we see them they made as fuck. We don’t got to live in the projects no more, I dropped out, but it’s funny I’m hitting college on tour. I need ’em fresh, cop em again if I copped em before. Charlotte Hornets top and bottom, colored aqua velour. Ahki used to let me in after the locks on the door. I ain’t speeding, I ain’t smoking, what the fuck you stopping me for? I hid my first .38 behind the socks in my drawer, my mama asked me why you got a gun, you not going to war? If I go get a cigarette there might be opps at the store.”

Meanwhile 30 Percent is the first track from his aggressively-named protege Kiing Shooter’s mixtape ‘Fucc the Doubters’.  The interplay here as East and Shooter trade bars back and forth like a Styles and Jada is great. Whereas ‘No Pork’ is the type of song you could kick back and relax at home listening to, ’30 Percent’ is more of an aggressive one you’d blast when you’re in the mood to get rowdy. Shooter has a dope and pretty unique-sounding deep/’blunt’ voice and raps over the top ignorant lines like “I’m creeping through the back window hoping they don’t keep alarms, .40 on me just in case the dog or the grandma home.”