2013 is still young, I’ll admit, but there’s no denying that this is the biggest news to hit the RVA hip hop scene so far this year. You may not immediately recognize the name of The New Juice Crew, but surely if you follow Richmond music at all, you’ve picked up on the existence of its most high-profile member, Black Liquid. And while Black may be the hardest-working man in RVA hip hop, he’s hardly a lone wolf. From his live shows to his videos to his radio shows, Black always has his crew with him, and even though he gets top billing, plenty of his boys are very talented in their own right. Their brand new mixtape, Know The Ledge Vol. 1, demonstrates that fact in convincing fashion.
The New Juice Crew onstage
No worries, though–if you’re here for Black Liquid tracks, this tape has you covered. After a short intro that samples Richard Pryor (always a good choice), the first two tracks feature at least a verse each from Black. “Your Welcome” features several different New Juice Crew rappers contributing a verse each, and while it starts with BC Music 1st shouting out to Black only to get the response “I’m busy,” by the end of the song, the man’s showed up to drop a solid verse that puts the capper on a great track. This is immediately followed by a Black Liquid solo track that acts as a crew theme song, “TNJC,” on which Black proclaims the supremacy of his crew over a gloriously ominous one-note piano loop. This crew knows who the star of the show is, so it’s only appropriate that Black Liquid has the most appearances of any individual rapper on Know The Ledge, with at least a verse on 11 of the 23 songs here. But only three of those tracks are solo joints, and one of them is the aforementioned New Juice Crew theme song, so he comes across more like an equal member of the crew than a far more talented MC propping up a succession of coattail riders. Even during the long stretches of this tape in which Black Liquid is absent for several songs at a time, there’s no reason for anyone to get bored.
Black Liquid with TNJC members at WRIR
That’s the real story here, in fact–the sheer level of talent at work on pretty much every track on Know The Ledge Vol. 1. The New Juice Crew resemble young RVA posse The Seven Hills Crew in that way, though musically, there’s quite a bit of daylight between the two local groups. The New Juice Crew are older guys with jobs, kids, and responsibilities, which has a big effect on their lyrical subjects, from Swerve 36’s harrowing crime story “It’s Richmond,” featuring some depressing samples from the local news, to BC Music 1st’s “DreamFlower.” Even more immediate is the obvious evidence of old school hip hop sounds from the late 80s/early 90s “golden age,” which is clear before you ever hear a note of this mixtape–the title is an homage to Eric B. And Rakim’s classic 1992 single “Juice (Know The Ledge)” (and if you don’t know it, CLICK THAT LINK RIGHT NOW). Production on a great many of these songs relies on jazz loops and funky, banging beats, mingling the ominous sound of classic era Wu Tang Clan and Mobb Deep with the boom-bap sound of BDP or, as previously mentioned, Eric B. And Rakim.
RT
Serious RVA hip hop fans will probably know quite a few of these songs already; while some tracks are seeing their first release on this mixtape, tracks by rappers like Emphasys, RT, and Swerve 36 have previously seen the light of day on various solo releases. However, Know The Ledge Vol. 1 is being billed as a mixtape, and it’s hardly a crime to contribute a good but previously released track to a tape that will be reaching a much wider audience than the original release ever did. Plus, some of these songs need to reach a wider audience. In particular, RT’s The Black And White Experience, from which he contributes the tracks “The Cancer” and “Black And White World,” is a great tape that deserves to be heard by more people. And yes, RT is a contributing writer for RVA Magazine, but I’d say the same thing even if I’d never met the man.
Swerve 36
It’s also notable that a wide variety of RVA rappers and producers appear on this tape–many of whom I wouldn’t previously have associated with The New Juice Crew. There’s a serious old-school credibility boost provided by featuring two tracks from Swerve 36 here; Swerve has been one of the most important players on the local hip hop scene for over a decade now, and the mutual respect displayed by his presence on Know The Ledge Vol. 1 speaks highly for all involved. What’s more, there’s a real feeling of scene unity created by the involvement of several high profile rappers from other local crews. Octavion Xcellence of Suburban District and Slapdash contributes to a track called “We #RVA,” adding weight to the New Juice Crew’s favorite scene-related hashtag. There are productions from members of Just Plain Sounds on this tape as well, and lesser-knowns like Bandolero, Corey Starks, and Emphasys get the opportunity to shine on individual tracks that help point out the depth of the Richmond hip hop scene as a whole.
Overall, there are a million reasons for you to add Know The Ledge Vol. 1 to your record collection immediately. But the most important one is listenability. There isn’t a bad track here, and one listen will be enough to add at least a dozen RVA rappers to your personal favorites list. If we’re lucky, this mixtape will set the tone for this entire year in the local hip hop scene. If the next 11 months offer up as much amazing shit as we’ve heard so far in January, the scene will hit a whole new level this year. So start it off right, and go download Know The Ledge Vol. 1 right now.
CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD OF THE NEW JUICE CREW’S KNOW THE LEDGE VOL. 1!
