Black Liquid’s Mixtape Double Feature: Tru Nyce & Cooley

by | Jul 18, 2014 | MUSIC

Tru Nyce – Life On Mars III: Tha Zone Age (Datpiff)
The hood. The south. Tha Zone Age. I don’t know why, but I like Tru Nyce. He’s not trying to do anything more than be himself.

Tru Nyce – Life On Mars III: Tha Zone Age (Datpiff)
The hood. The south. Tha Zone Age. I don’t know why, but I like Tru Nyce. He’s not trying to do anything more than be himself. The subject matter is motivation, women, his team, celebrating; all usual topics, even some storytelling. But you can hear his hunger throughout, and within every verse. There are some tracks I definitely could do without, like “Private Show,” but tracks like “Rize Up,” “King,” “Lost Gurl,” even the New Orleans bounce like “Know They Name,” show Tru Nyce at his best. I also found DJ Invasion’s weird flubber signiture sound thing to be kind of annoying, and in the way at times, but overall this is a solid release and I’d really like to see a cohesive, non-mixtape release from him in the future.

Cooley – 2000COOLEY EP (Bandcamp)
This shit bores me. I really want to like it, but I said it–I just can’t get into it. Now, I’m not being a hater, despite how harsh that statement may sound; I’m just being honest. So let’s divide the crowd real quick. Cooley is a Migos/Young Thug, rhyme-scheme-followed-by-adlib (“Lord”), Chief Keef high hat (tick tick tick tick 808) rapper kinda guy. If you like any of those names or production styles I mentioned, you will love this. If you like them for them, but don’t feel like hearing something similar, you will hate this. For me, its exhausting to listen to something so repetitive, derivative, and predictable. Octavion X represents well on “Boomshakalaka,” as does the Hippies And Goonz crowd on “Time,” where Cooley actually breaks out of his rhyme scheme cage and delivers, proving without a doubt that he is talented, and capable of so much more than he is showing us. I will listen to Cooley’s next release, and I respect this project for what it is, derivative or not. But the MC, the artist, in me wants to hear him, not them.

Marilyn Drew Necci

Marilyn Drew Necci

Former GayRVA editor-in-chief, RVA Magazine editor for print and web. Anxiety expert, proud trans woman, happily married.




more in music

Halloweek 2026! Our Guide to Richmond’s Halloween Madness

Halloween is Richmond to its core, and it all starts this weekend. We don't have to sell you on it. Go have fun, get weird, and let's all meet up for the All The Saint's Halloween Parade in Oregon Hill. Just be safe, don't drink and drive. Welcome to Halloweek 2026....

Tim Barry Part 2 | Richmond, Family & November Fest

Tim Barry just released his ninth full album, Clear Blocks Ahead. He and I had a long, overdue conversation about everything and nothing, but sometimes about that new album. In part one of this three-part series, I brought up my first AVAIL show and found out that it...

RVA Live Music | Thundercat, Glimmer, Deathcat, Rikki Rakki

Lotta indie and a lot of dreamy shoegaze with a healthy dose of funk and hip hop this week. Got a show coming up? New single? Simply want someone to talk music? Hit us up at griffin@rvamag.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ormQQG2UhtQ Thundercat,...

Thundercat Has Entered the Chat

Next Saturday, October 17th, the weird, funky spaceship that carts Thundercat around will land in Richmond for his show at The National. As a massive fan, I will absolutely be there. His is the kind of unique sound that makes a concert a “happening.” A funk so deep...

My First Phish Show in 1994 to Photographing Them in Richmond

In 1994, while in NOVA for high school, a friend who had grown up in Vermont introduced me to a band named Phish around the release of their fifth album, Hoist, and I became obsessed. As a classical-metal-progressive rock music fan, I loved it. My first show was...