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.
FMB DZ – Ape Season
Rio da Yung OG – Feelings
FMB DZ ft. Rio da Yung OG – High Speed
Stove God Cooks – Money Puddles
Foogiano ft. Lil Baby – Trapper (Remix)
FMB DZ – Keep it On Me
Icewear Vezzo ft. Sada Baby – 2 Hands
FMB DZ – Ape Season
Ray Garraty was right, Ape Season was a harder tape than The Gift 3, although both were dope projects. In fact, Ape Season is one of the hardest projects I’ve heard in a long time. The eponymous opener is just a complete tour de force by DZ. The bars speak for themselves as he just pummels this track like an old punching bag at the gym…
“I just made $200,000. I’m about to close out a deal on 2 houses. Get a nigga kidnapped for 2 ounces. I snuck the pole in the club fuck the bouncers.”
“Took the doors off this bitch we in the hood with it. AR on my lap I look good with it. Pull up in a red Ferarri looking like Suge in it.”
Rio da Yung OG – Feelings
Just when you thought you had Rio pegged down as just rapping about the streets he shows you he can surprise you with a love song/song for the females too – a love song of a decidedly Rio flavor (“I even got the pistol on me when we in the mall shopping”), but a love song nonetheless.
This Mark Boomin’ production on here sampling Surface’s ‘Closer than Just Friends’ is flawless and I love the whistle form that song that he uses (same guy that produced ‘New Car Smell,’ maybe my favorite Peezy song. I have to learn more about this guy and check out more of his production credits). This guy is a genius and I never would have pictured Rio rapping over an 80s R&B beat like this but it just shows what a mastermind he is too.
I bet this is a Rio song that the Martorialist will like; I want to see what he thinks of it.
I love the ‘Your last nigga was a square, bae I’m a different shape’ pickup line, I don’t think it will work out as well for me as it would for Rio but I’m about to steal it.
I think this Youtube comment sums it up perfectly… you can get in your feelings for a minute with Rio but it won’t be long before you’re back on your bully…
Rio and DZ showing that the grind doesn’t stop just for a quarantine or a stay at home order.
My favorite rapper from late 2017/2018 linking up with my favorite rapper from 2019 (and 2020 so far).
FMB DZ is flowing with such urgency over this beat. “I’m not a rapper I’m a motherfucking street nigga. If you ain’t tryna get no money I can’t eat with ya.”
“I’m out West with it, with my Vatos, me and Chino counting $50,000 eating tacos”
I just started bumping ‘The Gift 3’ and there are a whole bunch of bangers on it so far, definitley FMB DZ’s best work in a while; he’s spitting with high intensity on this.
I love the transition from DZ to Rio with DZ using that wierd effect on his voice and then Rio casually walking into the restaurant (LA Coney Island).
Before we even get to Rio’s verse, let’s take a moment to appreciate the fact that this man just dropped a great album, ‘City on My Back,’ then released a dope track with RMC Mike and Lil E (Still Spice Talkin’) and now still had enough gas left in the tank to release ANOTHER classic verse here as a feature on FMB DZ’s album. This guy is rap’s iron man he literally doesn’t stop.
Now let’s get back to Rio’s verse.
“Drop a nickel on your ass I got cheap killers, everybody got a body if you see them with us.”
Then Rio yet again shows that he’s probably the most inventive, ingenuous mind in rap today with this sequence where he adds bouncers to strippers as the nightclub personnel that he is a clear disdain for, comes up with a creative way of robbing a dealer in Colorado, and flexes on us by saying he doesn’t need to use a mask when he’s robbing because he’s an out of towner.
“I’m in the club with some shit that will drop a bouncer, robbed a bow man in Colorado, made him climb a mountain. I even robbed a coke man for an ounce of powder. I did that shit without a mask, I’m an out of towner.”
Oh, and did I mention that he has kamikaze bombers?
I also like that Rio seems to be amongst the more humble rappers in the game and doesn’t seem to have much use for stunting or flexing for social media etc. he’s just 100% about his money, consistently saying things like this…
“I didn’t act like I was rich, I was humble poor. You ain’t learn nothing when you was broke, what you struggle for?”
I’m always a sucker for rappers talking about the security at their spots…
“HD cameras on my house watching down the street. Your hemi slow as hell I’ll chase you down on feet.”
Stove God Cooks – Money Puddles
The rhyme scheme on this from Stove God Cooks is insane. Almost like a coke rap version of DMX’ ‘How We Be’ where he’s not so much rapping lines but just free-associating different words/phrases that fit a theme while he’s flowing. Just the pure artistry that went into this is something to take a step back and admire.
“Keep the planets all in orbit, dirty Porsches, half a million dollar mortgage, lemon swordfish”
“Hangin out the window eyes closed he shooting on a xannie, Versace (???) print look like cotton candy, this that hard knock, this that Orphan Annie”
“A hundred kilos, run up the C-Notes, my nigga ducked the RICO, pray for me though, Valentino, glass of pinot, ain’t no room up in this Benz, it’s me and my ego! These niggas forgot the G code, 36 to 63 O’s, that’s the reload, Rhinna twerking on my B-Roll!
“I deserve a rose I rose out the concrete, Ferarri, Fear of God I’m feeling like Haille Selasse”
I don’t know much about the Stove God but it looks like he is Roc Marciano’s new protege and Roc produced the entire album, I know some of you guys love Roc. I believe he is from Long Island like Roc. I’m just sinking my teeth into the album now and this was one early standout but the whole album is really good/interesting after a couple of listens. I like this guy’s angle and artistry he definitley somehow puts a new spin on things that thousands of artists have covered before, so that’s no small feat. My one minor complaint would be that similar to Roc himself and the Griselda dudes etc. I wish he would rap over some harder beats too, like something that the Detroit/Flint guys rap over because I feel like he could absolutely destroy a couple of those beats. Regardless, I am down with the Stove God.
Foogiano ft. Lil Baby – Trapper (remix)
BECAUSE THE TRAP DOESN’T CLOSE FOR STAY AT HOME ORDERS
I’m feeling this dude Foogiano’s flow/voice he’s a fool with it
I can usually take or leave the video vixens but I can’t lie I’m a big fan of this one
Lil Baby is floating on this beat I might like his verse here better than anything on his new album.
FMB DZ – Keep it On Me
I love the sheer sense of urgency that DZ is rapping with here in ‘Keep it On Me’ from his new tape ‘The Gift 3’ which essentially serves as a surprisingly heartfelt and effective ode to his strap, showing what a vital part it is of his everyday life and how much he needs it, whether he’s on offense or defense. He just comes out swinging over this beat with such an intensity. It’s obviously a well-traveled theme for rappers, but he still somehow makes it sound original…
“I go to sleep with it, I take a shit with it, I brush my teeth with it, I handle beef with it. I go to the store with it, I get low with it. I take out the trash with it, get on your ass with it. Go to the O with it, go to the K with it, go to the A with it, nigga I stay with it. I hit Miami with it. I was in Collins with it. In the drop with it, ONE IN THE TOP WITH IT.”
Between releasing The Gift 3 and Ape Season (thanks to Ray Garraty for re-recommending this one to me) just in the last few months, FMB DZ is at the top of his game right now.
Icewear Vezzo ft. Sada Baby – 2 Hands
Icewear is feeling himself here, one of the best verses I’ve heard from him. I was listening to a bunch of Icewear probably about 4-5 years ago or maybe even earlier before he got locked up, I feel like he sort of preceded this current wave of Detroit rappers who have now gotten more popular, I haven’t really checked out most of his recent stuff but saw he just did this song with Sada Baby and decided to check it out, glad to see he’s back at the top of his game. Icewear is linking up with Sada Baby, rocking a bandana with a khaki suit which I am definitley in favor of, flowing like a beast, and just reeling off bar after bar like it’s nothing…
“I get higher than a nigga finna go to court. I got fire like a nigga that ain’t go to work. I’m so lit round this bitch I can’t go in stores.”
I def feel you on that last part, Icewear.
“She only tells me she loves me when it’s beneficial, wear my jewelery out in public yeah I been official, nigga touch one of mine and I’m sending missiles”
“A nigga catch me broke, come sign my cast”
“Catch an opp while he lacking I’m an opportunist”
I love Sada Baby’s typically over the top boasting, “We might be the toughest richest niggas in America.” Not only the toughest, or richest, but the toughest and richest.
The rhyme scheme on this from Stove God Cooks is insane. Almost like a coke rap version of DMX’ ‘How We Be’ where he’s not so much rapping lines but just free-associating different words/phrases that fit a theme while he’s flowing. Just the pure artistry that went into this is something to take a step back and admire.
“Keep the planets all in orbit, dirty Porsches, half a million dollar mortgage, lemon swordfish”
“Hangin out the window eyes closed he shooting on a xannie, Versace (???) print look like cotton candy, this that hard knock, this that Orphan Annie”
“A hundred kilos, run up the C-Notes, my nigga ducked the RICO, pray for me though, Valentino, glass of pinot, ain’t no room up in this Benz, it’s me and my ego! These niggas forgot the G code, 36 to 63 O’s, that’s the reload, Rhinna twerking on my B-Roll!
“I deserve a rose I rose out the concrete, Ferarri, Fear of God I’m feeling like Haille Selasse”
I don’t know much about the Stove God but it looks like he is Roc Marciano’s new protege and Roc produced the entire album, I know some of you guys love Roc. I believe he is from Long Island like Roc. I’m just sinking my teeth into the album now and this was one early standout but the whole album is really good/interesting after a couple of listens. I like this guy’s angle and artistry he definitley somehow puts a new spin on things that thousands of artists have covered before, so that’s no small feat. My one minor complaint would be that similar to Roc himself and the Griselda dudes etc. I wish he would rap over some harder beats too, like something that the Detroit/Flint guys rap over because I feel like he could absolutely destroy a couple of those beats. Regardless, I am down with the Stove God.
PINK CHARDONNAY 