Whop Da Squire – Super Saiyan Tape (Datpiff)
Instead of verses I see fireballs and instead of punchlines, I hear karate chops. I’m talking about RVA local emcee Whop Da Squire of Broad Street Elite.
Whop Da Squire – Super Saiyan Tape (Datpiff)
Instead of verses I see fireballs and instead of punchlines, I hear karate chops. I’m talking about RVA local emcee Whop Da Squire of Broad Street Elite. This mixtape is an ongoing barrage of clever and well-worded bars, accompanied with a mix of old and new beats from past and present. While the concept of this mixtape is based on the popular kids television anime cartoon “Dragonball Z,” it definitely isn’t something you would play around your children–note the parental advisory tag. As this mixtape powers into a freestyle off of famous singer Bobby Valentino’s “Tell Me” instrumental, Whop Da Squire starts by saying that these are his “throwaway” bars (bars that he has had for a long time), which he titled “Smell Me.” The different wordplay on the tracks made this a concept CD of sorts, due to the fact that every single track is a barrage of bars. I also liked the way he flipped mainstream artist Travis Porter’s “You Don’t Know Bout It,” with the help of local RVA emcee So Illa, on a track called “In BSE We Trust.” Whop and I got to chop it up for a few on why he called this release Super Saiyan Tape. “I feel like this is just the beginning,”he said. “In Dragonball Z, Goku [the main character] does a lot of training and levels up to be more powerful, which then makes him an even more powerful fighter known as a Super Saiyan.” I see where he is coming from, being an avid Dragonball Z fan myself, and I am curious to see what Broad Street Elite has to bring in 2013.
Must Listen: All Seeing Eye, #BSE100, Piff N Bics Is Coming
Johnny Ciggs – Toilet Wine (Bandcamp)
Hailing from the depths of the RVA city, where true “grit” and “grime” are the way of survival, comes local emcee Johnny Ciggs of Gritty City Records. His newest project, Toilet Wine (inspired by the ever popular jailhouse bootleg alcohol), definitely brings us the grit, with his raspy flow and an arsenal of hot beats from a lot of popular songs, including tunes by Bun B, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and even R&B singer Ginuwine. This is along with a few tracks produced by locals Poe Mack, Fan Ran (of Divine Prophets), Delta Automatik, and Profound, as well as features from other Gritty City members Dank D and Joe Threat, The New Juice Crew, Oxen Johnson (of Luggage), and more. As we take our first sip, he starts off with a track titled “Pruno” (basically another word for toilet wine), where he rhymes about how to make this high-quality alcoholic beverage. One track titled “”In Heat” is rapped over R&B singer Ginuwine’s hit “Pony,” which is definitely a different approach that might surprise his fans, as it did me. This mixtape’s vast collection of beats and lyrical content does live up to its name with the mix of different tastes on it. The only difference is that the aftertaste will leave you coming back for more instead of giving you the ultimate hangover.
Must Listen: White Asics, Vorhees, Bathtub Gin
