mixtape works in this particular way and it’s worth your time. Too bad nobody really cares that he’s doing this anymore. continuing to channel the early fury he had on Trap Muzik more than a decade ago with his Grand Hustle never-gonna-be-stars named Yung Booke and Big Kuntry King. Music diss given the title, but so what, right? This matters because it’s T.I.
Hustle Gang (T.I., Yung Booke, Doe B & Big Kuntry King) “G.D.O.D.”
Whatever you think of French, people love him, and trippy-tragic tracks like “Sanctuary” and dead-eyed anthems like “Devil Want My Soul” from Mac & Cheese 3 afforded the woozy warbler some humanity. Oh yeah: This is a French Montana song and his hook is typically, goofily, narcotic, but he’s a non-entity here. Thank Kanye West, who steady keeps finding a place for Wu-Tangers on his recent work, but also golden-era rap nostalgia hitting its boomer phase.
Really, it’s indicative of where rap is that Rae’s allowed to show up on a major-label rap album (that isn’t by Playaz Circle). Remember Fabolous’ 2007 Timbaland-produced, “Rainy Dayz”-referencing “You Make Me Better”? Here, the sped-up and processed Earl Klugh guitars (that sound like pianos!) of Rae and RZA’s “Ice Cream” are woven through French Montana’s “We Go Wherever We Want.” At least, they allowed Raekwon to show up this time! He shouts out his “Larry King suspenders and…bow tie.” Who knows. This is the second time Ne-Yo has crooned on a pop-savvy Only Built 4 Cuban Linx homage from a New York rapper trying real hard to maintain their cred and still get on the radio.