Menace Clan commentary

HarveyCanal

Menace Clan was a Project Blowed group from LA whose only album came out on Rap-A-Lot in '95. The following comments are taken from Amazon.

Probably the most distinctive thing about Menace Clan's "Da Hood" album is that it's become a favorite example of white nationalists' complaints about black racism in the music industry (see the Violently Racist Music Site). What a lot of them fail to mention is that: (1.) This album was actually released independently (Rap-A-Lot's major-label distributor, Asylum/Atlantic, refused to put it out themselves), so it's hardly any different than Oye or any other skinhead music in that respect. (2.) The group specifically says at one point in the album: "We only trippin' on the white muthaf*ckas that's in control of the government; we ain't trippin' on you common folk cr*ckers cause y'all just cr*ckers...y'all might as well be n*ggas." In other words, they're not saying kill ALL white people. None of the white nationalist sites that copy-and-paste the text from the Violently Racist Music Site put this quote in there, since it contradicts their message. So what I'm saying is, it's ridiculous that this album is used so frequently as an example of "violently racist music" in that respect. Anyway, controversy aside, Menace Clan has given us a fairly standard (for the mid-90s) hardcore rap album that has some political commentary mixed with standard gangsta posturing. The two MCs, Dee and Assassin, are both OK rappers who show some signs of being good lyricists, but admittedly, their frequent jabs at white people (even if they aren't as racist as some people want you to believe) grow tiring after a while, as does their gangsta boasting. The production isn't a whole lot better, either - lots of standard West Coast G-Funk grooves from the mid-90s done by Rap-A-Lot's in-house producers. Hardcore rap fans may like this, but beyond the album's alleged racism, there ain't much else to recommend.

Im a big fan of hardcore rap, this cd projects plenty of that with ok beats, yet i feel there topics are wrong critising white people, and for what reason?. because they struggled getting a record deal,(thats real life) (no need to cry and write songs about it!). i see why they only produced one cd, they dont have what it takes. Good beats Terrible racist production. Rate 5/100 CRAP! (you know if a white artist let this content on the market there would be compete havok!

With DA HOOD, Menace Clan established themselves as one of the best Hip Hop groups of all time. It's a shame that they released only one album but it's one album that's hard to equal.Menace Clan take on their subjects -- ghetto life, white racism, etc -- with brutal honesty and an intensity that leaves the listener with no doubt that what these artists say is real and true.Take "Record Deal," in which the Clan takes clear aim at white record execs who cheat Black artists.Or "Aggravated Mayhem," a brutal depiction of life in the dog-eat-dog, unsympathetic ghetto. It sets the theme for the entire album: no-holds-barred rebellion against the system; a musical atmosphere that truly sounds like bedlam; and an unrelenting anger that you can feel, sometimes too much.When all is said and done of course, mainstream (read "white") critics will have added Menace Clan to their list of so-called hate music, ignoring the fact that truth and reality dont qualify as hate. The last time I looked at one of those lists in fact there were more Black artists (mainly rap) than there were white artists. Arent whites the ones who started racism/hate in this country? If we're going to talk about hate, let's limit it to those whose main role is to incite violence against groups that are different from them.And if that's the qualification then Menace Clan certainly dont fit that mold. DA HOOD is disturbing and graphic to be sure. That is however life in the American ghetto and to suggest that telling life stories can be hate is to pretty much label most works of art as hate.

With their album titled "Da Hood", you'd probably expect these fellas to be spitting some ol' run of the mill thug rhymes. One listen and you notice that these fellas aren't run of the mill thugs at all, in fact they're on some other ish. These are two furious MC's, ready to take the whole world on, showcased in tracks like "F**k A Record Deal", "Runaway Slave" and "Kill Whitey". The album's crowning jewel however, is the track "F**k What You Say", where the two MC's play out roles of an argument between a senior citizen and a young thug. Some tracks, such as the aformentioned "Kill Whitey" may turn off some listeners due to it's straightforward violent and racist views. Still, the albums many high points outweigh its few lows, making this a stellar addition for anyone looking for something with a twist of originality. The production and lyrics are sharp as a razor (let alone one or two mundane tracks). Not since the early days of Ice Cube, have MC's sounded so legitamately mad, and still sounded so good.

Ive in the past year taken interest in music and politics coming from the inner city. This record honestly describes the horrors, passions, and resentment in gang life in the most straightforward fashion ever. With songs like "Aggraveted Mayhem", a brutal rebellious song, "Mad Nigga", a wild story of a thug who lived and died ghetto, "Da Hood" and "Cold World" which describe a life of fear and struggle. I would recommend this album to anyone with similar fascinations and curiosity.

HarveyCanal

Menace Clan song lyrics posted on the Violently Racist Music site:

"Niggas in the church say: kill whitey all night long. . . . the white man is the devil. . . . the CRIPS and Bloods are soldiers I'm recruiting with no dispute; drive-by shooting on this white genetic mutant. . . . let's go and kill some rednecks. . . . Menace Clan ain't afraid. . . . I got the .380; the homies think I'm crazy because I shot a white baby; I said; I said; I said: kill whitey all night long. . . . a nigga dumping on your white ass; fuck this rap shit, nigga, I'm gonna blast. . . . I beat a white boy to the motherfucking ground";
"Kill Whitey"; Menace Clan, Da Hood, 1995, Rap-A-Lot Records, Noo Trybe Records, subsidiaries of what was called Thorn EMI and now is called The EMI Group, United Kingdom.

"I kill a devil right now. . . . I say kill whitey all nightey long. . . . I stabbed a fucking Jew with a steeple. . . . I would kill a cracker for nothing, just for the fuck of it. . . . Menace Clan kill a cracker; jack 'em even quicker. . . . catch that devil slipping; blow his fucking brains out";
"Fuck a Record Deal"; Menace Clan, Da Hood, 1995, Rap-A-Lot Records, Noo Trybe Records, subsidiaries of Thorn EMI; called The EMI Group since 1997, United Kingdom.

"He prays on old white ladies [who] drive the Mercedes with the windows cracked. . . . you should've heard the bitch screaming. . . . sticking guns in crackers' mouths. . . . the cops can't stop it. . . . remember 4-29-92, come on; Florence and Normandy coming to a corner near you, cracker; we've been through your area, mass hysteria; led by your motherfucking Menace Clan";
"Mad Nigga"; Menace Clan, Da Hood, 1995, Rap-A-Lot Records, Noo Trybe Records, Time Warner, USA.

HarveyCanal

From Cocaine Blunts:

Menace Clan - Da Hood (1995)
Menace Clan was an LA based duo despite being ultra gangsta they actually gained prominance ripping mikes at the Goodlife Cafe, better known as the home of the Freestyle Fellowship (the goodlife/project blowed wasn???t exactly the entirely bohemian forward thinking scene that it???s often portrayed as, but that???s another story for another week).
Like The Terrorists, Menace Clan was also declared VIOLENTLY RACIST. I???d say that it???s generally a good sign that the only information anywhere on the internet about them is about how racist they are. And with song titles like ???Kill Whitey??? would you expect any less? And it doens???t end there. Nearly every song on this LP makes a not so vauge reference to killing crackers and devils. But it doesn???t end there, the clan was also decidedly anti-industry. ???Record Deal??? features the hook ???I don???t give a fuck if the record label drop me / I don???t give a fuck if i sell one copy.??? Elsewhere, they put their spin on the ???Stray Bullet???/???I Gave You Power??? genre of ???from the perspective of a gun??? raps on ???Da Bullet???, not the most creative concept at this time (I???m not sure if this dropped before or after It Was Written), but it???s a pretty nice execution. In true RAL fashion this album has about 100 people straight chillin on the front cover. Most rap groups saved the crew shots for the inside sleeve, but these fools get put right up front. Although this can get a little confusing (especially when a name like ???clan??? implies many people are in the group, not just two), something has to be said for repping your crew just that hard. This album was nearing the end of RAL???s period of consistancy, with the production sound borrowing more from the Dre/Death Row era that they once influenced. Still it???s a dope LP and worth picking up on the cheap.

HarveyCanal

More song lyrics:

"Shoot that devil. . . . I'm blacker; I take a Tec nine and kill a motherfucking cracker. . . . CIA, killer; FBI, killer; Uncle Tom killer; other white people, killer . . . KKK, killer . . . LAPD, killer. . . . I kill a devil right now. . . . I throw another brick";
"Aggravated Mayheim"; Menace Clan, Da Hood, 1995, Rap-A-Lot Records, Noo Trybe Records, subsidiaries of what was called Thorn EMI and now is called The EMI Group, United Kingdom.

"They gotta drag them a bleeding dead nigga back; but not like that, fool, I ain't going out; before I do, I bet I take one of these crackers out; freedom, freedom [repeats]; fuck yah, I killed him; now should I bury him; fuck no, he didn't do the same for my grandpa. . . . 25 shotguns pointed at me; fuck y'all, devils; now I'm free. . . . I'm a motherfucking slave, I'm tired; I'm thirsty and I'm hungry; picking cotton to build a white man's country; my mother is working hard and she is dying of starvation; never see my brother, he is on another plantation; my father . . . he wasn't going for this; now he's hanging from a tree in the forest; damn, my little sister gets raped and beaten. . . . pick up a rock; hit the chain, and it broke in half. . . . a runaway slave, I'm gonna stay brave; when I'm getting free, I'm putting pale face in the grave; thinking about my people and how I'm gonna free them. . . . I run into the middle of a Ku Klux Klan meeting. . . . seen a hundred guns they had pointed at me; white robes, white hoods, blue eyes; just before they pulled the triggers, I yelled: fuck y'all, crackers";
"Runaway Slave"; Menace Clan, Da Hood, 1995, Rap-A-Lot Records, Noo Trybe Records, subsidiaries of what was called Thorn EMI and now is called The EMI Group, United Kingdom.

HarveyCanal

Menace Clan :: Da Hood :: Rap-A-Lot Records
** RapReviews "Back to the Lab" series **
as reviewed by Matt Jost
If you run a rap music-related search, you may happen to come across a loose collection of webpages that meticulously list comments found on rap records that can be interpreted as expressing racism towards whites. Many of them contain the term 'devil' as coined by radical black supremacist Elijah Muhammad. Some of these quotations are thoroughly racist, and seeing them bundled together did have a somewhat sobering effect on me when I first stumbled upon the site years ago, even though it does little to conceal its own agenda, citing as its purpose: 'Black and Latin musicians issue forth violent racism and the target of their hatred is primarily whites. The web pages that follow expose some of the lyrics. The exposure is necessary because civil rights groups do little to bring attention to the violent racism of rap, left-wing rock, or raggae, and instead civil rights groups focus on violent racism of right-wing rock issued forth by white musicians.'

As a white rap fan who got wise in the late '80s and early '90s, I learned that pro-black doesn't automatically mean anti-white. Still I was open to rap lyrics that suggested that with my skin color, I was part of a problem. How could I not be perceptive of such a notion? You're a kid playing cowboys and Indians, and as you read up on Native Americans, you realize what a miserable card they were dealt. You go to school, hear about colonization and slavery, and you come of age witnessing the last years of South Africa's apalling Apartheid regime. It was inevitable that I would develop that vague feeling called white guilt. The feeling is gone, but even today I am much more offended by white racism because I feel it comes from a position of power, while I am liable to excuse black racism as a reaction to past and present discrimination. Call it bigotry, I call it looking at things from a historical perspective.

So there I was, a young white teenager attentively listening to these rappers as they spread their pro-black and sometimes anti-white message. I knew that I didn't belong to their target audience, but I also felt that it would be wrong to take that as an excuse to ignore what was being said. For every rap fan - even one as unlikely as me - there comes a time when he has to ask himself: Are they talking about me? When you get into rap music, you learn not to take it too personal. Rappers have a habit of pointing the finger at people, and you learn quickly not to feel affected by their accusations, even if they might in fact be talking about you. Usually they're not. But sometimes they are. Sometimes rap IS personal. If it weren't, we wouldn't get so attached to it. In regards to us white fans, it's only right that we feel a little bit uncomfortable every now and then. Too often we stand on the sidelines, silent spectators to the good and the bad things happening in hip-hop.

Pathetically put, if I truly love this rap shit, it's not enough to have songs that make me feel welcome, there also have to be the ones that hurt my feelings. Someone, something has to make me feel unwanted, giving me reason to fight for it, to re-establish my relationship with rap. That is the reason I set out to dig deep into my collection to find the ultimate rap record to test how thick that white skin of mine is. Well, Menace Clan's "Da Hood" might just fit the bill. To say it with Brad Jordan: "You brought to us the KKK, we bring to you the Menace Clan."

Some Ku-Klux Klan official makes a brief appearance at the top of the album in an interview segment, but the Menace Clan cuts him short and makes sure to have the last word. It begins with "Rappers say they black but I'm blacker / I take a Tec-9 and kill a muthafuckin' cracker," and continues along those lines for the remainder of the album. There have been many complaints about the ways of the music business, but none took it as far as "Record Deal," which suggests that rappers "grab that devil in a choke-hold" "just before you lay them vocals." We'll assume that the South Central LA duo had some disheartening experiences prior to signing with Rap-A-Lot Records. Why else would they boast, "I don't give a fuck if the record label drop me / I don't give a fuck if I sell one copy"? Then again, any obstacles they faced really shouldn't have come as a surprise given their admission "I can't get no deal cause I say 'Fuck white people'." On the other hand, they certainly had a point when they argued, "I could get a record deal if I just said 'Fuck niggas'."

To the duo's credit, they don't spend the entire album inciting hate crimes. They accurately relay the making of a "Mad Nigga," narrating his short life from start to finish, from the crack baby born to neglecting parents, to the juvenile delinquent's early death. After praying "to God for help" and admitting, "My niggas and myself [...] we need some mental health," Dee and Assassin tap into their own anger as they "remember 4/29/1992." This date puts "Da Hood" in a context that makes its contempt a little bit easier to categorize. Big Jess, who assisted KAM and MC Ren on their post-LA Riots/Rebellion efforts, produces the opening "Aggravated Mayheim" and the closing "Kill Whitey," which may both be more immediate reactions to the Rodney King verdict than the album's 1995 release date suggests.

Although it does have its artistic merits, "Da Hood" is ultimately short-stopped by its simplistic message. Demonizing white people as devils, citing synonyms that can again be traced back to Elijah Muhammad ("The white man is a devil, a beast, bezerk, snake, Satan, serpent, evil, wicked, dragon, demonic, hell-born, vicious, Iblis, savage, brutal, wild, fierce, untamed, the archenemy, father of lies, prince of darkness") is the very opposite of making a clever case against any white power structure as it might exist. "Kill Whitey" could pass as a call for unity amongst gangs, Assassin referring to Crips and Bloods as soldiers he's "recruitin'" in hopes they get to "drive-by shootin' on this white genetic mutant," but there is so little conviction behind the argument, it is easily contradicted by the gangbanging "Last Driveby." Then there's an interlude where one of them specifies, "We only trippin' on the white muthafuckas that's in control of the government [...] we ain't trippin' on you common folk crackers cause y'all just crackers [...] y'all might as well be niggas." Incidentally, they recall another anti-government figure when Dee argues, "Because these crackers yell 'nigger' I show them I got no pity / I'm one of them terroristic niggas bombin' Oklahoma City." The only thing is, Timothy McVeigh was white. Or does the fact that he was opposing those "in control of the government" make him a "common folk cracker" who might as well be a "nigga"?

Those abiding by a strict moral code are likely to be apalled by any attempt to justify racism. They may be right. But the world isn't black and white, as much as George W. Bush would like it to be, as much as the Menace Clan would have liked it to be. "Da Hood" offers no lengthy explanations for its rampant racism. But a key track in 'understanding' the Menace Clan is "Runaway Slave," which sends the two rappers on a dramatic escape from the plantation. The rest of the album was closer to Dante Miller and Walter Adams' everyday situation. They call life the "ultimate drive-by" ("...you can duck and dive, run and hide, but everybody gon' die"). They profess their dedication to the neighborhood they "die for, lie for, cry for, ride for" ("...the only reason that I come outside for").

It wasn't all good in Menace Clan's hood - "My hood's a pen and all my people's inmates," says Dee on the Bushwick Bill-assisted title track. There's nobody to trust ("Me By Myself"), the climate is so cold packing heat becomes mandatory ("Cold World"), and bullets play such an important role that they've been assigned a lead part in "Da Bul let." The album hits its creative peak on "What You Say," a dispute between Dee and an elder man (played by his partner in rhyme) who tells them that they're "a disgrace to the whole black race." The generation gap opens wide when he remembers, "I used to march with Martin Luther King," and Dee responds, "What you gon' do when / Armageddon sets in and the feds start shootin'? / You gon' be marchin' while my khakis stay starched, and / Martin wasn't shootin', that's why Martin ain't marchin'."

Largely produced by Rap-A-Lot in-house producers, "Da Hood" is an album that from a strictly musical viewpoint does many things right. It goes, however, terribly wrong when it comes to the message. Racist rhetoric is intolerable, no matter how thick-skinned one might be. Using it means making a deal with the REAL devil. And you know how that one usually turns out. The Menace Clan let themselves be blinded by hatred and while trying to beat 'em, almost join 'em.

Music Vibes: 7.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 4.5 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 6 of 10

HarveyCanal

From some random dude's epinion on the 20 best rappers:

18. MENACE CLAN -- They only made one album to my knowledge but Da Hood was nothing but raw rage and power. Not an album for the squeamish, Da Hood made some bold statements about America�s poverty and racism. Take the devastating cut, �Record Deal,� which pointed an angry finger at white record company execs who cheat Black talent. Menace Clan may have dissipated due its controversy. The rise of so-called hate music watchdog groups has mainly affected those it should be protecting: young, hopeful, Black male Artists. Menace Clan proved that while they were harsh and angry, they were definitely speaking the Truth.

rootlesscosmo

so are you gonna defend their violent hatred of white people?

or rather are you trying to make this a 5pager all by yourself with these quotes?

HarveyCanal

so are you gonna defend their violent hatred of white people?

or rather are you trying to make this a 5pager all by yourself with these quotes?

Take it how you want it.

I saw that best hip hop video ever thread and my first thought was Menace Clan's What You Say which features rappers Dee and Assassin portraying a young buck and an old man squared off and arguing in Leimert Park.

The video apparently isn't on the internet anywhere. As I was searching for it, I ran across all of the Violently Racist speak and considered it infinitely interesting.

As far as defending anything, I've seen Menace Clan perform at the Good Life at least a couple of times. I've met them in passing. They were cool dudes to me, in that they were hardly the only ones at the Good Life spitting anti-white sentiment (Lil Juggsta, Chu Black, RBX, Figures Ov Speech, etc.). It just went with the territory and for some of those more unruly dudes it took a minute to get them not to try to jack you or some ish.

One time in 95 Aceyalone came through Austin with Masta Ace on some Source promo tour. My buddy Ridd was with them and he called me to ask if I could score them some bud. I brought 3.5 to dudes' hotel and when Ace pulled out the dough to pay, Chu was telling him to just not pay me. Chu was a pretty healthy, big, crazy dude back then, so after we maddogged each other back and forth a bit...luckily Ridd and Ace stepped in to squash it and give me my money. Any time after that when I was around Chu, he was cool, albeit still kinda reluctantly cool to me.

Point being, sometimes there are barriers to separate the fake from the real...and if you put yourself up to certain tests, you better know how to handle yourself. Otherwise you get exposed as fake and get punked with the quickness. And one of those practically routine beginner tests for white dudes was to see how they responded to extremely hateful rhetoric towards whites in general. Either you understand where it's coming from and treat it like a given, or you instead act like an asshurt chump and get your lunch money swiped.

rootlesscosmo

they were hardly the only ones at the Good Life spitting anti-white sentiment

as much as I like some of the good life descendents, I had always heard that the atmosphere there was somewhat hostile toward the white folks. I can't say I ever went there myself.

One time in 95 Aceyalone came through Austin with Masta Ace on some Source promo tour. My buddy Ridd was with them and he called me to ask if I could score them some bud. I brought 3.5 to dudes' hotel and when Ace pulled out the dough to pay, Chu was telling him to just not pay me.

this happened to someone I know, though it was Mikah, not Chu. and it was more than 3.5. and no he never got the money.

rootlesscosmo

ab, peace, micah and jup were always cool to me the times I met them. acey was standoffish but cool enough. the unity committee members were of course always cool the times I met them. I never met ellaykhule or CVE or any of the more angry sounding dudes. menace clan don't seem like dudes I would have much in common with.

HarveyCanal

they were hardly the only ones at the Good Life spitting anti-white sentiment

as much as I like some of the good life descendents, I had always heard that the atmosphere there was somewhat hostile toward the white folks. I can't say I ever went there myself.

The Good Life was first and foremost a health food store with a very friendly staff. You'd get there and B. Hall would be at the door to greet you with a big warm smile. Again, there was present there on Thursday nights quite a significant backlash against racist white society...remember that many of the mc's involved were actual participats in the 92 Rebellion...but overall it wasn't any more hostile than trying to play basketball on the first court at Venice Beach.

HAZ

I will confess to sleeping on this cause it dropped near the tail end of the RAL dynasty. I will cop today, tho. Thanks for the tip.

HarveyCanal

Might be worthwhile to note that Scarface, Mike Dean, and NO Joe did the brunt of production on Da Hood album...and that Menace Clan joined Geto Boys on "Blind Leading the Blind" from their 96 Resurrection album.

Only thing Menace Clan-related I've found beyond that so far is a telephoned freestyle from jail on a Yukmouth mix cd.

Edit: My bad...they were also on Scarface's 98 My Homies comp by way of a song called "Menace N*ggas Never Die".

DJ_Enki

racist production

KKKlan Beatz, son!

HarveyCanal

racist production

Yep...Mike Dean is so racist, he even withholds medicine from the Dude.

Scott

Menace Clan's "Have You Ever Heard" is my favorite Mike Dean beat ever.

The cover art makes me nostalgic for the days when hockey jerseys were hip-hop's athletic wear of choice.

rootlesscosmo

I will confess to sleeping on this cause it dropped near the tail end of the RAL dynasty. I will cop today, tho. Thanks for the tip.

HAZ: real talk Mr. FAB's new tape or Turf Talk's new tape? what you got?

HAZ

I will confess to sleeping on this cause it dropped near the tail end of the RAL dynasty. I will cop today, tho. Thanks for the tip.

HAZ: real talk Mr. FAB's new tape or Turf Talk's new tape? what you got?

Turf. And its amazing.

rootlesscosmo

I will confess to sleeping on this cause it dropped near the tail end of the RAL dynasty. I will cop today, tho. Thanks for the tip.

HAZ: real talk Mr. FAB's new tape or Turf Talk's new tape? what you got?

Turf. And its amazing.

I'm feeling it as well. FAB's got some good beat/collabos but his written raps are not nearly on Turf's level IMHO.

HAZ

I will confess to sleeping on this cause it dropped near the tail end of the RAL dynasty. I will cop today, tho. Thanks for the tip.

HAZ: real talk Mr. FAB's new tape or Turf Talk's new tape? what you got?

Turf. And its amazing.

I'm feeling it as well. FAB's got some good beat/collabos but his written raps are not nearly on Turf's level IMHO.

And Rick Rock has that fyah. e-a-ski's "super star" is awesome, too. Is that one of the Frontline on the chorus?

rootlesscosmo

I will confess to sleeping on this cause it dropped near the tail end of the RAL dynasty. I will cop today, tho. Thanks for the tip.

HAZ: real talk Mr. FAB's new tape or Turf Talk's new tape? what you got?

Turf. And its amazing.

I'm feeling it as well. FAB's got some good beat/collabos but his written raps are not nearly on Turf's level IMHO.

And Rick Rock has that fyah. e-a-ski's "super star" is awesome, too. Is that one of the Frontline on the chorus?

not sure.

hogginthefogg

And Rick Rock has that fyah. e-a-ski's "super star" is awesome, too. Is that one of the Frontline on the chorus?

Yeah, it's Locksmith.

I gotta say, though, that's one of my least favorite joints on the whole album (an album that I love). And it blows FAB's CD out of the water. I like FAB's joint, but the Turf is in another league.

rootlesscosmo

And Rick Rock has that fyah. e-a-ski's "super star" is awesome, too. Is that one of the Frontline on the chorus?

Yeah, it's Locksmith.

I gotta say, though, that's one of my least favorite joints on the whole album (an album that I love). And it blows FAB's CD out of the water. I like FAB's joint, but the Turf is in another league.

he is a worthy E-40 successor.

HarveyCanal

If y'all are gonna post jack like that...



And once again...

rootlesscosmo

you forgot rhino.

HarveyCanal

you forgot rhino.

There you go...

rootlesscosmo

thank you.

HarveyCanal

No, thank you.

rootlesscosmo

that's[/b] who I'm talmbout.

HAZ

I haven't been looking for much Trae lately cause "Restless" didn't have much staying power with me. I love his voice & delivery, but I don't find myself playing his stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing what Z-ro has coming next. I liked that Z-ro tv post that was up a few days back.

Brian

I haven't been looking for much Trae lately cause "Restless" didn't have much staying power with me.

crazy talk.

definitely anticipating the new trae although all ive heard is smile and some mixtape cuts. is z-ro coming out with something new? im sure he'll have like ten mixtapes out in like the next month but im talking album albums