da ocup: boofini edition

Another mix of DC shit since it’s been a while since the last one (NEVER FORGET!) and also since every mix that’s dropped today is on the same quiet, stoner nap-rap tip. Fuck that; boof the boofington to this mix. Or just play it loud somewhere. Almost exactly thirty minutes long and flirts with shades of go-go, bounce, Zaytoven/Southside trap, kitten litter, and child predators.

  • Slutty Boyz — Bounce (Internet, 2012)
  • Topdolla Sweizy — Work Dat Pussy (F*ck Da Radio, 2012)
  • Topdolla Sweizy — Your Girl f/ Vado (F*ck Da Radio, 2012)
  • Oochie — Amber Cole f/ Topdolla, PWild & Yung Gleesh (Internet, 2012)
  • Tony T — Shittin Me (2KT-T, 2012)
  • Yung Gleesh — Yesterday (Cleanside’s Finest, 2012)
  • Yung Gleesh — Coca Cola Flow (Cleanside’s Finest, 2012)
  • Fat Trel — Kill Em f/ Chris Bo (Nightmare on E Street, 2012)

OCUP: Boofini Edition (DC, 2012) | hulkshare

Fat Trel

The first time I met with Trel was at a local artist showcase some time the first week in March, at Liv over on U st. It was a relatively small turnout, nearly every artist made note that the energy in the room was low, but it got better as more recognizable figures stepped up on stage. First Phil Ade, Kingpen, then Phuture did a set bringing Trel up to do their song together, and then finally Trel himself.

The next time we met was out in Woodbridge, really only about half an hour from the city proper but might as well be Norfolk. This time he was doing a show with French Montana and Young Moe at a small waterfront spot, not next to anything at all really except a river and dock. French left right quick after his three or four song set, but Trel, Moe, Boosa da Shoota, and Yung Gleesh came back out in to the middle of the single floor room around one or two AM just to spill a few bottles. The place let out just an hour later, and would’ve been a good time to talk for a bit if it hadn’t been for the six or seven dudes getting their skulls remodeled on the pavement next to the police.

It wasn’t till St. Patrick’s day that I got to ask him a few questions. Just a few since he was wrapping up his nap at Midieast studios and only had a small window before he had to head to DC Star for a TOB/AAO reunion show, an early show around 8 before the room cleared for a baile something or other. Band named “El Coyote” is what some guy wearing cowboy boots told me. Trel’s crew invited me to tag along to get whatever shots I wanted, but nobody goes to a gogo to talk.

The whole room at DC Star reacted once they caught Fat Trel on stage but it never seemed like they were there just for him. AAO was reuniting for one night only after all. TOB did “NoMee” for like seven straight minutes! Kids were going wild. A girl rubbed the top of my head for no reason even though I was obviously dripping sweat. Don’t know if anyone was really drinking, no green beer or green shirts around, just “RIVERDALE RIP VONNY VON” white tees and Louis Vuitton backdrops. At no point did anyone ever ask the crowd to get hyped.

Fat Trel -- Paper Bag Magic (DC1135, 2012) | hulkshare

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made my own blog, ain’t that special

Some DC rap that dropped while I’ve been out of town with that benz truck, money bags, and paper tags.

Chris Bo -- Stuntin On 'Em f/ Fat Trel (Internet, 2012) | hulkshare

Slutty affiliate Chris Bo and Fat Trel over a beat featuring the synths formerly known as house. Really though, Trel’s gone in over a pretty wide range of beats and I’m still waiting to hear any one where he sounds particularly out of place or uncomfortable. I’m really interested in hearing what he does with la musica de Harry Fraud on the E St mixtape that should drop in a month or so.

Birdyy Bird -- Poppin' Pills (Internet, 2012) | hulkshare

Birdy Bird, he who was borne up around a G, made the inspired decision to pop some molly, sit down in front of a cracked copy of fruity loops and record his own frenetic, lo-fi based-y freestyle. If you need even more texture for your trip, try processing this heavy mess.

Chaz Munay -- Strong (Internet, 2012) | hulkshare

The Houston ex-pat loops through Atlanta before settling in Alexandria, loosely tying all three together on this track.

Jo Boy Fresh -- Punk @zz N!gg@z (Durdyboi, 2012) | hulkshare

Another first generation DC area rapper, Jo Boy finds a few more drops left in the familiar proto-Luger sound by skipping the rich, memorable hooks and jumping straight into literally threatening and insulting anyone that even slightly smacks of beta. This while World Star’s greatest hits plays between every camera cut. A lot of hate in my hart right now, especially since the jorts+tights combination completely nullified the video vixen’s usefulness.

Yung E. -- Plugged In f/ B.E. & Phil Da Phuture (LIkeblood, 2012) | hulkshare

Really sparse beat underlying this remix to the best cut off Yung E’s recent effort. Still waiting on Phil Da Phuture to translate the energy from his live show on to a track though.

Long $leeve $teve — So Real (YouTube, 2012)

Rapping is serviceable, but more importantly, who do I need to tweet to nominate “Long $leeve $teve” for Best Rap Name at the 2012 DMV awards?

Young Moe — Humble Hustle (2012)

Sleep is hard come by. The only time rest is allowed is well past four, maybe five AM, when Moe’s cell phone flashes the reminder: “MOE YU STILL UP? YU BOUT DAT LIFE?” and because he is bout dat life, rallies fellow area insomniacs with a click:

It’s repetitively sincere and based in a ethos that pops up over and over on his newest mixtape, Humble Hustle, like on the second track “Death is a Gaurentee”[sic] where Young Moe raps about a heart hurting from pain and an arm working the cane till well late in the morning.

Thematically this second effort isn’t too far removed from the previous Underage Pain: Young Moe is still young, still in the middle of figuring out how jaded he already is and how much longer he can keep up his wide-eyed eagerness (“They took my only dream away, they locked it for a robbery/ I always told ‘em you ain’t neva broke if you got a dream”).

His sincerity hardly ever comes off forced, at time painfully sincere like when he raps about his dad (“I love the nigga, but fuck the nigga/cause he put his hands on my motha”), but it’s obvious Moe is still working his way towards finding his voice when he appears next to stronger rappers like Trel on “Tired of Bein Broke”, where they both rap about robbing a grocery store and liquor store respectively, except that while Moe morosely reflects (“I think God gave me the wrong hand/but I’m playin’ the one that he dealt”) Trel draws out small details of his methodical thievery that read more like manual than verse (“All we need is 3 heads, 1 whip, 2 heats/driver play the lookout, read a book and don’t sleep/ and joe don’t smoke no cigarettes, that movie shit so obvious/ and i hate that. straight where the safe at” . . . “no longer than 2 minutes/ fuck the rest, we can leave that”). It’s a great song left or right but it’s clear Moe is playing foil to Trel on his own song; no shame in that though. Basshedz handle near half the production and are still trying to find the right combination of synth ticks and beeps, 808′s and built-in pop hooks, the most successful being the busy and dense collaboration with Raheem’s 368 dude Phil da Phuture, “Rollin With My 40″.

Young Moe -- Tired of Bein Broke f/ Fat Trel (Humble Hustle, 2012) | hulkshare

Young Moe -- Rollin With My 40 f/ Phil da Phuture (Humble Hustle, 2012) | hulkshare