DJ Spinna’s new record is pretty hit-or-miss, a bunch of solid-to-great beats with a bunch of decent-to-mediocre rapping; Torae is so bland that he seems to only exist so folks hating on current NY rap can point to exactly what is wrong with it. But there are a couple great tracks on it, including lead single “New York” which has a solid verse from Krym of the Jigmastas, “performing so sick with it, i’m worth about six digits, i’m hot like a Chinese kitchen cookin with six skillets.” Although there’s no excuse for Yung LA-lookalike Spinna explaining Krym’s lyrics for us via punch-ins (“this ain’t the Matrix man!!”) The beat kinda reminds me of this remix to O.C.’s “Born 2 Live.”
In fact, Spinna’s beats on the record all embrace this ambiguous unease, as if El-P’s tracks for Company Flow had become an actual blueprint for anything underground rap that came afterward. (In fact, there’s even a track with Breezly Brewin featuring a Sitar sample — an obviously intentional reference to ‘The Fire in Which You Burn.’) The greatest thing is that they seem really unconcerned with sounding either classicist-traditional, or like Dilla, which is pretty much the only two directions anyone seems to care about in underground rap right now, for good (Marco Polo) or evil.
The best track on the record is the incredible “More Colors” with Elzhi. It helps that he’s by far the best non-Brewin rapper on the record. I really appreciate that it doesn’t try to do anything too-clever with the ‘colors’ concept, and that it never feels like he’s really trying to force something — like he’s unafraid to break concept for a couple lines in order to make a point that makes sense. And the beat is one of the best on the album. And yeah, he might be second to Gucci or Dro, but if it takes a Trojan horse like Elzhi to get these concepts up north then so be it. Elzhi manages to spin it into a detached 3rd-person observer perspective, which makes it more critic-friendly, but that’s not really taking anything away from its quality.
we eat so many shrimp 
wait,
so you are saying that Gucci is a better rapper than Elzhi? Or just a better conceptual rapper? Either one is bullshit. Come one. Almost as bad as when Noz said Gucci is more creative than Big L ever was. I mean it gets people to comment, I’ll give you that. But seems like you’re being contrarian for the sake of. And this is not coming from someone who only listens to East Coast rap, or who gives a fuck about half the artists on Nahright. Go head and give Gucci his shine (I’ll admit dude has something, even if his subject matter is beyond tired) but come on, let’s be real.
i meant ‘second’ as in young dro & gucci both already dropped songs emphasizing ‘colors’ such as Gucci’s ‘colors’ from our rundown earlier this year. this wasnt an attempt to be contrary or whatever, i just meant he wasn’t the first to do it; he was the first to take it & make it that 3rd person omniscient narrator (that im aware of — if there’s another im forgetting it definitely wasn’t this memorable). & thats crit bait. which is probably why you think hes better than gucci.
But since you brought it up, I think Gucci is the best rapper out right now. So yes, I think he’s better than Elzhi.
alright fair enough. i just listened to gucci’s “colors” and i had to shut it off like a minute in, but to each his own. we’re all entitled to our opinions.
on another note, you heard the new jacka album? that’s a joint that should be getting some more internet love (outside of bay sites.) you should check it out.
Damn son, you weren’t kidding about that track with Elzhi- good stuff!
Are there any “new” NY rappers anyone is checking for? I feel like Sean Price is the only MC outta the Tri-State’s whose mere presence on a track will automatically make me give it a listen.
maino’s album is actually pretty dope. he’s not a really a great emcee, and he doesn’t steal guest appearances like P, but he made a really solid album that stays in rotation (first for an NY emcee on a major in a loooong time.)