19 Monday Apr 2021
Posted in California
Nicky 900 x Muski x Bird2Four – Since a Youngin
Nice melodic little hook here from Stockton’s Nicky 900. (This dude also had one of my favorite songs/hooks of 2016 before I started this site). Great beat from Zoran too. This is that chill, laid-back Cali slap-core that you can still knock on doors and collect money to. Nice touch with the Stockton Ports hat.
23 Friday Aug 2019
Posted in Bay Area, California, Uncategorized
Cash Click Boog, ChirsOnTheBeat ft. Rockin Rolla – Tapout
I wanted to see what my guy Cash Click Boog has been up to lately since I haven’t heard him in a little while since my big Gang In Here kick earlier this summer; this is from a month ago but I’m liking what I’m hearing here. Pretty much exactly what you want to hear from Boog over typically harsh ChrisOnTheBeat production that’s perfect for all these Bay/Detroit guys. I love Boog’s voice (pause! pause!), definitley one of the most unique in rap.
Boog is sounding like every old, grumpy suburban dad here when kids are playing outside near their car; “Tipped the valet at the door told him grab my whip, I’ll put my foot in your ass if you scratch my shit”.
Another hightlight is Boog bluntly telling the squares to get out of his way – “Nigga shut the fuck up if you ain’t making flips, on the plane with a roll I had to take a risk”
From what I gather from features etc. it seems like Rockin Rolla is one of Boog’s top right-hand men. I like his name Rockin Rolla it has me picturing a greaser from the 50s or an Elvis type instead of a rapper. But Rockin Rolla quickly puts that notion to bed because he comes out firing here – “Boog I’m tired of niggas saying all this hating shit, take a trip with 10 bags that’s a baby trip, I just bought a Draco with a baby Kick… Southwest we the army and the navy bitch.” I’ve got to check out Rockin Rolla’s solo stuff because I like what I’m hearing from him.
Cheers to ChrisOnTheBeat for putting his name as one of the artists now instead of just a producer credit in parentheses at the end of the title. I’m definitley a fan of this guys’ menacing production. Bonus points to Boog for holding up the pool stick like a chop when he raps ‘If I gotta up the shhhhhhh’
03 Thursday Jan 2019
Posted in Bay Area, California
Tags
Lazy-Boy – No Way
Happy New Year’s everyone. Starting the year off with some serious heat from Lazy-Boy. Lazy basically continues his power of morphing into a spectacularly face-tatted Noteno version of Chris Brown or Ty Dolla $ign on this one, making magic over a wildly catchy beat. I have to admit that after listening to a ton of Lazy-Boy in 2016 and 2017 I really slept on him this past year and didn’t realize he put out so much new material. I finally caught up on all of his 2018 releases over the holidays and this was my favorite song. It’s a shame I heard it so late otherwise this would have definitely displaced something else on my 2018 top 50 list. Lazy-Boy really has a gift for these half-rapped, half-sung infectious joints over these bouncy Bay beats. There’s just something about hearing Lazy singing ‘I’ll turn a new Glock into a throwaway” or talking about calling his “brothers in the pen” over summery production like this.
03 Monday Sep 2018
Posted in Bay Area, California, Uncategorized
ShooterGang Kony – Numba 1 Stunna
Vallejo youngster ShooterGang Kony has all the makings of a star – He’s got a great flow, some nice lines, he’s charismatic on camera and he’s in good company with Mozzy and Nef the Pharaoh rocking with him, but perhaps most of all, what I’m most impressed by is ShooterGang Kony’s Club America tracksuit. In fact, I’m in awe of his entire crew’s impressive collection of Liga MX Sportswear, from the aforementioned title star’s Club America ensemble (which, I may add, I couldn’t even find online to buy so he definitley went to a real tienda to grab it), to his friend’s Cruz Azul jersey, to the guy’s coat at 0:15 (not sure what team that is or even if it’s a team at all from the logo). Even Nef himself is getting in on the footy-inspired sportswear with his Kappa hoodie although unfortunately he didn’t commit to a specific Mexican top flight team like his more worldly Vallejo brethren.
On a side note, I love the setting for this video, some sort of haunted/abandoned ranch or alfalfa farm outside of Vallejo? Not to mention the slick dance moves and the cameos from Nef as well as the Mozzy chain.
“I ain’t go to college I’m a blood like a Treetop, went to one class in my bag was a knee Glock”
“You Mysterio my pockets on Bautista”
“Bitch I’m King Tut, switch lanes tell em beast up”
“Nigga, fight who? I’ma give you hella heat rocks, weed stop, always in the hood like a street knock”
The chorus is of course him stunting but it’s also a message of self-reliance and individuality. “I’m the number 1 stunna I don’t need nobody’s help, you wake up every day trying to be somebody else.” This almost sounds like it could be a Nef-style brag.
You can also never go wrong with a Chif-Fil-A mention.
I’ve been bumping Kony’s new Kony Ginobli mixtape all Labor Day weekend and since he’s fairly new to me I’ve also been going back and listening to his previous tapes March Madness and Still Kony. This is my favorite song by him so far but he has plenty of other slaps, like the Rap Music Hysteria-highlighted My City, as well and I’m sure there are plenty more to come.
On a side note, is any region having a better summer output-wise than the Bay Area/general Northern California area as a whole? Between ShooterGang Kony, Nef the Pharaoh’s new album, ALLBLACK, and even a new E-40 album, (and even though he’s from LA I almost want to throw Greedo into this mix because of the other project with Nef and all his collaborations with ALLBLACK).
29 Friday Jun 2018
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ALLBLACK ft. 03 Greedo, Prada Mack – Florida Gator
Here ye here ye, your host is hereby temporarily abstaining from the Martorialist-issued embargo on listening to rappers with septum piercings, which as you know, I usually strictly adhere to as they are wise words to live by, but ALLBLACK has me breaking the embargo. (Plus, ALLBLACK actually looks pretty badass with his, unlike some rappers who get them and just end up looking like bratty kids that hang out at Hot Topic.). I originally came here for 03 Greedo’s chorus but left as a new fan of Oakland’s rose-gold-grilled ALLBLACK. (I’m definitely feeling this rose gold grill).
ALLBLACK is certainly a character, and he links up with another big personality here in 03 Greedo in this ode to Florida Gators of an entirely different nature (and nothing to do with Tim Tebow or Aaron Hernandez). ALLBLACK mixes that old school, Oakland/Bay Area attitude with the newer vibe of these Soundcloud era type guys that dress like punk rockers. I fucking love what he’s saying here in his verse… “Y’all want ALLBLACK to be like James Stacy, wouldn’t stop running if the doctor amputated my legs… grinding like Chris Cole cause I gotta keep Maxine fed… take the pedals off the bike and I’ma hop on the pegs”. (By the way I feel like Chris Cole and James Stacy are two of the most random/unexpected references ever in a rap song and here they are basically in the same line). ALLBLACK’s verse and whole flow/vibe have grown on me very quickly and now I’m blasting his verse all the time. His song Canadian Goose is a flamer as well.
Could Greedo’s hook here possibly be any more flammable? 03 Greedo on auto tune is on a whole different level. God Level perhaps? It’s just a short cameo from him here on the hook and no verse but it sounds heavenly. My only complaint is I wish they looped it in a couple more times at the end or something.
ALLBLACK is definitely adding his own spin and style to the Bay and really out of nowhere is turning into one of my new/recent favorites and this and Canadian Goose are turning into two of my most heavily-played songs of this young summer so far. I’m also just starting to delve into the new Greedo album ‘God Level’ which I’m only halfway done with but looks like it’s going to have at least a half-dozen bangers on it. FREE GREEDO!
21 Saturday Apr 2018
Posted in California, L.A., Uncategorized
Tags
03 Greedo ft. Drakeo the Ruler, Fenix – Wake Me Up in Traffic
Even 03 Greedo’s unreleased loosies are better than 95% of other current artist’s best material that they would choose as the singles for their new album. This guy really is on a different level. Almost reminds me of an in-his-prime Gucci Mane with all the vaults upon vaults of quality material he has laying around. I really hope this one doesn’t get taken down from Youtube! This is going to be a dope summer driving song.
“Wake me up in traffic, fell asleep at the wheeeel. Lately I’ve been trapping, kush, lean and the pillllls”.
“And I got my mask and my gloves, dead presidents chasing bank do some drugs, every day I repent but I keep fucking up, only my God can judge me, too rich for a judge…Unless I get paid I don’t go to clubs.” This line was so dope and mind-blowing to me because it was so braggadocios but also simultaneously so humble, which you would think would be impossible but Greedo pulled it off.
03 showcases so many different flows, voices, and cadences on this one it’s almost ridiculous. His cohort, Drakeo the Ruler, who if not for Greedo would almost certainly be the most dynamic rapper in L.A. right now, also contributes a dope verse as does, according to Youtube, someone named Fenix of Shoreline Mafia who I know nothing about but if he has Greedo’s approval than he’s alright by me. Let’s keep our fingers crossed/prayers up that Greedo and Drakeo both beat their cases and we can keep getting awesome collaborations from them for years to come.
03 Greedo has easily usurped the Dos Equis guy as ‘The Most Interesting Man in the World’ at this point.
07 Wednesday Mar 2018
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
California, freestyle, Funk Flex, LA, Nipsey Hussle, Victory Lap
Nipsey Hussle – Freestyle on Funk Flex
Neighborhood Nip killing it on the Funk Flex show a couple of weeks ago. I’m always a sucker for the ‘If I Ruled the World’ beat and this was a great use of it.
“Bullets got blue tips like they Crippin’ nigga, F&N got 30 in it and I’m tripping nigga, refrigerated cupholders when I’m sippin’ nigga, fuck work sell words it was written nigga, see the Staples Center from my kitchen nigga, on the phone with Forbes asking how I did it nigga”.
Something about the imagery of the refrigerated cupholders and seeing the Staples Center from his kitchen is such dope use of imagery and just paints such an evocative picture to me. I’m not sure if he means refrigerated cup holders in his house or in the whip but either way I want them now. Nipsey can’t miss right now!
“$30,000 for the pythons, rocking knee-highs, sipping white wine, listening to ‘In My Lifetime, looking at the city skyline, getting sky high.”
07 Wednesday Feb 2018
Posted in Bay Area, Uncategorized
Tags
Cookie Money – Pops Died Last Week
An intense and heartfelt song by East Oakland’s Cookie Money about the death of his father. You can really feel both the sense of sadness and loss as well as the feeling of resolute determination to carry on the family legacy and shouldering the burden of making sure that the rest of his family is straight no matter what it takes. You can really feel where he’s coming from with the unique mix of angry defiance and deep sadness that’s hard to describe. Apparently his father was a serious hustler during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and then spent a lot of time in prison but he and Cook remained very close. I usually don’t watch Vlad TV that frequently but the Cookie Money interview on it was pretty good and delved more into Cookie Money’s background/life story etc it’s long but I would definitely recommend it. It seems like he’s lost a lot of people close to him recently over the last few months from his dad to his grandmother to some of his homies so hopefully he can find some peace and things get better for him soon.
I don’t think Cookie is doing anything crazy lyrically but he’s a real, genuine artist who can really make you feel what he’s saying, which makes it even more impressive. He’s not doing it with crazy wordplay or rhyme schemes he’s just doing this with pure heart.
“All my chains on I don’t tuck none, I’m tryna tell them that they fucking with the wrong one, call me Simba bitch you fucking with the king’s son.”
“My daddy died last week bruh this shit hurt. I never thought he’d be the one who had to leave first. I gotta hold my brother down I gotta take the torch, show these niggas what this East Oakland shit is worth.”
“Ready to kill any pussy nigga that look at me wrong. Broad day, no mask, whole clip to his dome. I would never question God I can’t say that he wrong, you were more than my father bruh it’s hard to move on. How the fuck you tell (???) that her Papa is gone, I hear your voice late night ‘Lil nigga be strong, same name do your thing keep the legacy going’, I lost my best friend bruh y’all didn’t even know him.”
11 Thursday Jan 2018
Posted in Bay Area
Tags
Willie Joe, Benny, YL Next Up – Mo Guap Mo Problems
You wouldn’t think that attempting a remake of ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ in late 2017 with a bunch of youngins from Cali and adding in a whole lot of auto tune would be a good idea… but it’s actually kind of fire?!?! Yhung T.O -nemesis Benny and his merry gang of DripSquad cohorts fucking kill it here (The DripSquad logo of the anthromorphic water droplet is actually pretty dope). I’ve always been a sucker for this beat and remember the original Biggie version being one of the first songs that ever caught my attention/that I liked as an earnest young elementary schooler.
I can’t lie, I’m definitely a little jelly of the guy at 0:27 that’s rocking that super clean long-sleeve Samoa rugby 7’s pullover.
Benny brings the heat on the melodic hook which goes surprisingly well with the Mo Money Mo Problems beat; “Blue paint on the new drop, too hot Gucci’d down to the tube socks, 19 young nigga with a bank roll, mo money ain’t a problem with a draco”. Props to Benny for making the motion of fanning himself off when he says ‘too hot’.
I like how Willie Joe changes the ‘no info for the DEA’ from the OG version to just ‘no info for the DA.’ “N-O, S-O nigga, D-A, H20 no info for the DA, Yanni got the draco got you running like a relay, bruh locked up his BM had us on 3-way. It’s Joey though, started from the bottom like we OVO, somebody sleeping in the bed it ain’t Nokio, rappers doing all this lying like Pinocchio, I’m a fly nigga rocking Bape straight from Tokyo.” (Side note – first time I heard Willie Joe was on ‘Top Ramen‘ this time last year which had a great hook from Lazy Boy). I’ like how DripSquad henchman YL Next Up just keeps snapping harder and harder as his short verse goes on. (Side side note – most of these same guys Willie Joe, YL Next Up etc. are in another dope song ‘Cruisin’ that Corolla Club highlighted in his monthly top 10, which also features another pretty sick Samoa rugby jersey).
The white dude with the dreads and the gnarly beard isn’t even named in the title of the video but through EXTENSIVE research (me lazily clicking around on Youtube while I’m supposed to be working) I believe his name is ‘Stony Bobby’ and he seems to be a DripSquad affiliate. (Is Stony Bobby the Bay Area’s answer to Kid Rock?) (Edit/Update: After more Youtubing, it’s also possible that the white dude with dreads and the black dude with dreads are called YL Next Up as a group, and Stony Bobby is someone else entirely?! Very mysterious). What he lacks in shaving skills he certainly more than makes up for in the sheer energy he brings to the track and his general over the top theatrics he uses to act out what he’s saying. Come on, look at the look on his face at 2:47 or the exaggerated running motion at 2:56; how could you not love this guy? And like he says, he’s just trying to push that Porsche Panamera with the leather, and who can begrudge him of that?
15 Wednesday Nov 2017
Posted in Bay Area
Lazy Boy ft. Snootie Wild – Kinda Famous
Another highlight from the new Lazy Boy mixtape, this one the eponymous intro track featuring an unexpected cameo from Snootie Wild of ‘Yayo’ fame from a few years ago.
Best Lazy Boy line – “Got the draco on the seat when I’m in the car, I’m going hard for my brothers on the prison yard.”
I had basically completely forgotten about Snootie and didn’t expect to hear from him again especially not on a mixtape by Lazy Boy but I’m enjoying his feature on here as he plays more of a Fetty Wap type role, contributing a sing-song verse where he details how he’s ‘Famous Amos smoking cookie, and my baby mama hating tryna jugg me’ which I love because of how ridiculous it sounds. There’s also a very unexpected Al Bundy reference that works. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Snootie make a comeback in this type of a role going forward let’s see some more rappers utilize him on tracks in this fashion.
