Atlanta Rap News Roundup
What’s going on with Atlantan trap rap? (“Trap” is regional slang for the drug market. Trapping is selling drugs. Trap rap is rap music centered around and focussed on the drug market.) Well, first of all, OJ Da Juiceman is never going to catch those sneaky kids who steal the money from his dice game while he’s wearing so much gold. He can’t run fast enough if he has to hold all his chains against his chest to make sure they don’t fly around and hit him in the face! (This is reminiscent of the old I’m Gonna Git You Sucka joke about people dying from “O.G.” or “over gold.”) But he’s doing all right by having Gunplay on his song. Gunplay is from Florida, a friend of Rick Ross, and has been surprising people by being really great lately. With his deep, booming voice and full, rounded enunciation, he sounds more like the Geto Boys’ Geto Willie D. than anyone since the Geto Boys’ Willie D. (And that’s a very good thing.)
Shawty Lo has a great voice, too. He sounds like he’s whispering and shouting at the same time. But Gucci Mane wins the M.V.P. award on his new song.
“He said she said we said/Gucci Mane’s a weed head/So many bitches in my room/I think that I need like three beds/He eat it/I beat it/Found out you cheated/He’s heated/He texted me/Want a question me/About some bitch I deleted.”
Wow! There are certainly lots of question one could ask Gucci about his sexual politics, but that is some excellent rapping.
Speaking of sexual politics, yesterday, Gucci’s friend and partner Waka Flocka Flame became the latest rapper to come out with a nice statement about gay rights. Taking to his Twitter feed, Flocka wrote,
“Everyone [has] a right to b who they wanna b. Gay or straight. Black or white. We all the same and shouldn’t be judged by that shit…”
This is a continuation of very healthy trend that has taken hold in rap lately. (One that reflects a trend in American society as a whole.) And seems ever more important coming from someone like Waka Flocka, who is super engaging and lovable, but has not often been known for espousing progressive ideology.
Lastly, a new video from T.I.’s friend Young Dro, but no real news. “Everything’s still Polo,” he says, maintaining the brand loyalty that has defined his career. He is adamant about this.