I don’t typically do this but , fuck it.
Normally, I would give you guys some sort of poll about new music. Sometimes I come across an album that is so clearly a “yay”, in my eyes, that I don’t wanna give you people a chance to ruin that for me. Fact of the matter is, I realize what kind of rap music the typical Phat friend reader is into. It’s intelligent. It’s a little abstract. It’s also generally very white person friendly. Meaning , topically, it’s not about street shit and if the rapper has any sort of regional accent, it’s a problem. Judging from past “Yay or Nay” columns the amount of times some of you recoil upon hearing anyone rapping about guns or drugs (regardless of context or creativity), it’s as if you’re your own parents. That’s fine. We like what we like. I’ve been there. I used to curse Puffy and Mase in the late 90’s as “not real” hip hop. I know how it feels. However, good rap is good rap. And, let’s not forget, this is rap music. Not folk rock. At least that’s what I’m trying to show you guys every time I post a new artist with a street edge.
Enter Vince Staples.
He’s Odd Future Affiliated and his new mixtape/album “Shyne Goldchain II” just dropped.
Vince is a dude I honestly didn’t pay much attention to until recently. Prior to his murderous verse on Earl’s album , where he easily stole the show from Earl (a highly talented rapper himself), he had done a few little things here and there. Honestly, I couldn’t get past the production in most cases so I kinda let it just fly by me. This album though? He got some beats. Or I should say, he found the sound that works for him.
As a rapper, he reminds me a little of Snoop dogg in his laid back demeanor but way more serious. He also has shades of another of my favorite under rated rappers Young Bleed. With both comparisons, I’m seeing a somewhat mellow killer. While I could easily see people listening to this ,in passing, and writing him off as just another rapper talking about the same street shit, those people would be wrong. Yes, he is just another rapper and he does talk about street shit but , with rapping, it’s all about HOW you talk shit. He’s got style, presence ,a great voice and an original way of putting familiar words together. Look at the Clipse and how they made selling coke in rap an art form.
The point of all this is, hey, give it a chance ,you uptight and short sighted rap nerds. It’s funny to think that you can expand your horizons by actually giving something you might deem “beneath you” a chance. Consider this…you know how you feel about the rap music you love? Like you think if that guy you know who only likes Rick Ross and drake would just give it a chance , he’d finally see why you hold it in such high regard? It works both ways. Grey area is everywhere.
So, here’s a link to Vince Staple’s New mixtape FREE DOWNLOAD!
http://www.sendspace.com/file/14u52y
Here are some clips from the album:
For a stream of the whole album:
https://soundcloud.com/blacksmith-a-g/sets/shyne-coldchain-vol-2
