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).
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?
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.
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.
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 recentNYC 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.”
Staying on this unexpected NYC Crip wave/Poppa da Don wave with Poppa and Abillyon’s ‘Smoked’. Like one of those cartoon angels on your shoulder or a Loc’d out Sunday school teacher, Abillyon implores you to ‘do the right thing or you’ll get smoked’ in that heavenly voice of his. Abillyon is quite the hook-smith and this could be one of the best of the year. I also love the gleeful ‘I’m on the other side with the Locs!,’ willfully declaring themselves as the ‘other side’ or the opps and celebrating it. Abillyon is a name some may recognize from the height of the GS9 era; from looking at his Soundcloud and quickly browsing other streaming sites, it doesn’t look like he has released a ton of music since then but he seems to be making a resurgence now. Poppa is in the middle of a strong run as well between this, ‘Crip Shit‘ and his mixtape ‘Fucc Wit Da Cuz Vol. 2‘.
I had heard this a couple of times over the summer and enjoyed it, but then for whatever reason forgot about it until I saw Meek Mill talking about it on Instagram and singing the hook and now I’ve been blasting it non-stop for the past couple of weeks. ‘Smoked’ deserves to blow up on its own merits, and has certainly done well, and I think with the co-sign from Meek now it’s really going to really reach a whole new level. It would be cool to get Meek on a remix. Possible song of the year contender?
P.S. Fun fact – apparently at one point Junior Galette who used to play for the Saints announced that Abillyon was on his record label and that he was planning to bail out the entire GS9?? Abillyon appears to be doing his own thing now and the label’s website doesn’t appear to be up anymore but they do have an IG; Galette may not be on a current NFL roster but he makes up for it by being a renaissance man of fine taste in music.
At some point when I get a chance in the next few weeks I want to go back and listen to the old Abillyon mixtapes to see what hidden gems they have in store.
I also want to find out what the deal is with these NBA player cutouts they’re holding up is!
Poppa da Don, Dave East, Tulito, Trap God Mula – Crip Shit
It’s turning into winter fast out here, and you know what that means, it’s that time of year to hunker down, lace up the Timbs, throw on a big Marmot jacket and see what’s going on in the big apple. These NYC Crips have really been coming out with some heat lately. Here, we get two of the best linking up and Brooklyn and Harlem joining forces with Poppa da Don and Dave East, along with Tulito and Trap God Mula/Sha Mula who may have the best verse of all on this one.
I love the pure energy and fervor Mula brings here as he says ‘Sha Mula I’m the Trap God, probably made $100 thou in my backyard,” pounding his fist as he raps it. “Blue flag 100 Locs I’m moving wocky nigga, 2-seater, I8 they couldn’t stop me nigga!” I’m hyped off of the defiance he’s spitting with.
East makes a typically solid contribution here as well, and also just released arguably the best song of his career, in my opinion, with ‘No Pork .’ Poppa da Don put out a total banger ‘Smoked‘ with Abillyon over the summer which I think is going to start blowing up even more because Meek Mill was talking about it recently.
My only very minor gripe with this one is that I wish they grabbed my man Top Dolla and got him on this one this would have been perfect for him!
Your host got caught lacking in his car trapped in the big east coast snow storm last night for over 12 hours on the same mile of highway but fuck it it takes more than a few snowflakes to kill the old Pink C. And not only am I alive and well I’ve been on a NYC kick lately catching up on some of these young bols. Even though I’m hella late on this one from Brooklyn’s Envy Caine but I’ve been blasting it non-stop. This is the intro to his ‘2 Many Situations’ mixtape from the spring.
“Damn, My whole city AGAINST me, but fuck it cause I got all these killers with me”
I love the raw aggression/malice and the me against the world ethos that Envy delivers that bar with. Almost reminding me a bit of AR-Ab.
This song goes so hard/aggressive it’s the new song I play when I want to get angrier in a situation, like in traffic or in a long line at a store, although that’s actually probably a counterproductive strategy on my part.
I also love the delivery of “Opp niggas throwing salt, tryna bad mouth” line. Salt kills snails but not Top Opposition.
I took a break from blasting Don Q’s ‘Trap Phone’ to check out his freestyle on the Funk Flex show from a couple weeks ago. I’m definitely down for Don Q freestyling over the Blocboy JB ‘Rover’ beat and as dope as that was, the real highlight here is Don astutely handing the spotlight over to his talented Highbridge protege A1, who certainly makes the most of the opportunity.
Things really pick up around the 5:00 mark or so…
“I was born on Highbridge, raised on Courtlandt, I thought y’all should know that cause I’m telling you to be cautious, I love my Highbridge niggas, I call them, they’ll off him, then my Courtlandt niggas come and spit on the coffin. And we from the bottom we dealt with plenty of losses, I sat in the trap the residue had me nauseus. We went to war with some suckers and then it cost us, now my brother sitting in prison cause niggas crossed us. We ain’t comfortable with the workers, only deal with bosses, they try to take me out so we bulletproof the Porsches.”
“Any nigga that stood on my corner gotta pay rent… you niggas that go against me going to be starving to death. All these chains on my neck telling me I’m blessed, toughest thing I ever did was lay my father to rest.”
“Niggas only carry their pistol so they can make it known, man I carry my pistol so I can make it home.”
Don Q cuts in at this point declaring that anyone he cosigns is fire, and thus far based on what we’ve seen how can anyone really disagree with him? But instead of ending there, Flex throws on the all-time classic ‘Banned from TV’ beat and A1 proceeds to slaughter that as well…
“These fraud niggas couldn’t walk a mile in my sneaks, bro home it’s time to smoke a pound in the jeep. My heart cold, I’m tired of seeing murder when I sleep, the park closed, niggas got murdered every week… It feel good to stand on corners we took over, niggas got the mind of a kid but they look older, me I got the mind of a king I don’t pull over. Hard to really count all the bodies a nigga stood over, hard to really count all the product we had to cook over, and you know that body don’t count if you don’t get closer, … if that pistol not around me that’s when I get sober.”
I don’t know why but I also loved the ‘Now my stomach getting big I feel like my Uncle’ line; a lot of people are stunting by talking about the chains they have, the designer clothes, the cars etc. but in reality one of the oldest and truest ways that you truly can show your status is because you’re eating good and getting fat, eating steak and shrimp, a status symbol going all the way back to biblical times. Now this hasn’t really worked for me or enhanced my status thus far at this point in life, instead it’s just made me an easier target of more fat jokes, but I still support the sentiment nonetheless!
You’ve also got to love the Karlton Hines shoutout and the Oun P shoutout, Oun was one of my favorite battle rappers/freestyle DVD type rappers of the late 2000s/early 2010s scene.
Don Q’s young protege showed a ton of potential here and really put his name on the map with this video, I’m looking forward to checking out more of his stuff and seeing what he does next as he continues to grow as an artist especially being under the umbrella over a successful brand like Highbridge. Highbridge really is starting to look deep with talent, and I haven’t even mentioned A Boogie! (Side note, I really hope that A Boogie really is working on something with 50 Cent like he recently alluded to on Instagram). A1 mentions his new mixtape ‘God’s Favorite Child‘ which I’m going to check out next.
This Set Trippin remake actually goes hard and puts a bit of a unique twist on it.Even 6ix 9ine’s harshest critics have to admit he at least caused Casanova to make ‘Set Trippin’ which then caused a wave of Set Trippin remixes all over NYC and beyond, some better than others, my favorite of which ultimately turned out to be this one from this OG ‘Top Dolla 60′ trying his hand at it. Until some further research I actually wasn’t even sure if Top Dolla 60 is an actual rapper or if he’s just doing this as a one-time thing to get a few points across but damn it I’ll take him over half the rappers out here these days, the man has charisma and stage presence, so now I want to check out the rest of his material.
I love the skit at the beginning – almost feels kind of Jim Jones-esque; I feel like we need more skits/vignettes in the beginning/end of vidoes again. To summarize; Top Dolla and his boys are cooling out on the block when an erstwhile Blood is unlucky enough to stumble across their path. Top Dolla disappointedly asks him when/why he turned Blood and chides him for turning Blood in prison upstate, presumably for protection, when he didn’t even have to endure a long bid. Top Dolla’s henchman also takes his flag out of his pocket for wearing it on the wrong side. (Also, note at 0:59 the old Italian-looking guy is loving this skit!) But then finally in a surprise twist, Top Dolla acts fairly magnanimously and decides to spare him further punishment because they grew up on the same block, their moms know each other, and he basically watched him grow up. Knowing that this small fry is no match for him, he lets him cross the street and leaves it to the Damus down the block to deal with him as they see fit.
The navy blue and gold Pelle Pelle jacket he’s rocking looks sick and goes well with his standard Yankees hat, always a timeless classic. There are a lot of dope clothing choices in this video amongst his crew, whether it’s his boy in the Seattle Mariners pullover or the guy with the rarely-seen New York Islanders jersey. Perhaps best of all is the even rarer Minnesota Wild hoodie. I’ve got to just be upfront and say it, I’m not saying one is better than the other and I have no dog in this fight, but it seems like Crips seem to have a better and wider overall selection of teams to choose gear from then the standard Chicago Bulls or Philadelphia Phillies stuff that you usually see in vidoes from their counterparts on the other side of this divide.
I like the raw aggression/energy and just sheer gravity Top Dolla brings to his version of the song, you just feel an added weight with some of the lines since you know he’s lived what he’s rapping here and feels strongly about it. To him this isn’t a fashion statement or a trend like it is to many, this is his life. He mainly talks about being in the minority as a Crip (and more specifically a Neighborhood Crip) at Rikers Island and the NY State prison system, and standing tall/keeping his head held high about who he is whereas many others were afraid to claim in jail since they were vastly outnumbered, a theme he hammers home again and again… “Some niggas pick and choose when they rep, we gotta fix that, if you reppin over there adn not over here, you gettin’ bitch slapped…on Rikers I was making it known, they can’t forget that, and up north, I was keeping it funky like where the Rips at?”
‘Young top Dolla a known threat; 18 Years, Neighborhood, only been one set. They tuckin from the streets to the jail, nigga I bang mine, the Six is like kids around tax time, I claim mine. What I hate is tuck and tell, knowing well, they get in a spot with some Crips, they claimin’ other jails.’
I love his spin on the chorus; ‘Throw your hood up, nigga bang, on Rikers Island a lot of niggas they was scared to claim, Neighborhood nigga that’s the gang…Who loc’d you in, how’d you turn cuz? You went up North and you turned blood?”
“Got a real community over here, my Neighbors with me”
I like the fact that he includes some Bloods in the video that he considers ‘real Bloods’, as he says, “Got Fam that throw B’s but cuz I bring them C’s out”. Apparently even Casanova himself was down with this version of the song, judging from IG.
