It was a bit of a slow week, as I was working on my Headie One Edna review. But still, there are a handful of tracks worth talking about! So let’s get into it.
Digga D- Chingy (It‘s Whatever)
It’s always a blessing when the feds stay off of Digga long enough for him to work on and release some new music. Seriously, it’s almost a joke within the scene at this point that he can’t leave his house or open his mouth without the police interrogating him and threatening to recall him back to prison. But thankfully, that hasn’t done a ton to deter from Digga D continuing to release music and evolve his sound.
He’s already one of the most proficient in drill when it comes to his flow, energy and wordplay. He’s proven that time and time and time again. With “Chingy,” he’s at his most playful and fun. The title refers to American artist Chingy, known best for that classic banger of a track, “Right Thurr.” With his increasing amount of American references, and understanding that he can’t be as explicit and specific with his lyrics, I think he’s starting to realize that appealing to the US may be a good move. This track proves that point, as his second verse veers away from his typical drill flow. I’m here for it without a doubt. “See a opp right thurr!!!!”
Block 6 (Young A6 x Lucii)- Soul is Mine
This isn’t a recent release, but it just popped back up into my YouTube suggestions. Maybe because it’s October, and the weather is starting to change, but this dark, demonic track feels like it’s worth talking about.
That’s Lucii with the demon mask, and yes, his name is pronounced “Lucy,” short for Lucifer. That and the title itself should kind of let you know what you’re in for. First off, the instrumental is a completely different animal from anything I’ve heard before. It’s done by drill master Ghosty, but this isn’t his typical style of instrumental. The 808 bass hits are brutally out of tune, hitting you with these crazy, overwhelming undulations seemingly at random. Then there’s the constant, grim synth line just hanging over the whole track like a thick fog, and some dark piano keys coming in every once in a while. It’s got this claustrophobic, oppressive effect that actually makes the track somewhat difficult to stomach at first. It’s like a great horror movie score that gets under your skin and refuses to leave your mind.
Then we have the lyrics themselves, which read closer to a black or death metal track than any drill song I’ve ever heard. Young A6 is first, and his vocals sound like they were recording in a dirty closet somewhere in hell. A few notable lines from his verse include:
“I’m carvin’ the number six in your chest/ Kill him and take his soul/ Then watch his family put him to rest”
“Jump off peds, leaves holes in lungs/ Let him take his last breath”
“I take their soul, leave mums all sad”
“Rip out out his flesh, expose his back/ Or bore up his neck, leave throats all black”
“Bore him up, leave him blue/ He’s screamin’ ‘What did I do?’/ But deep down he definitely knew/ Shove my yank in like a foot in a shoe/ Back the hand-ting, leave him on the news/ Pray to the devil I left no clues.”
Some real uplifting stuff. And that’s before we even get into the guy who named himself after Lucifer. I feel bad even writing about any of this knowing one of my religious Aunts is coming over for the Packer game later today. But, let’s focus on a few of Lucii’s most notable lines as well:
“It’s voodoo livin’, juju dippings/ I always buss my case/ Just bell up my big bro Blaze/ And pray to Oya for the fuckin’ change” For some context: Oya is a Yoruba orisha of winds, lightning, violent storms, death and rebirth.
“I got big boy guns and big boy blades/ Juice your face and lick my blade/I’m psycho, tapped in the brain/ Go and ask ****, man put it in twice/ I left him soaked and it weren’t by rain”
“I’m a demon that shouldn’t have been born/ How many paigons I leave in the floor?”
“Why you think I soaked up ****’s spine/ I fetched his soul with my Samurai sword/ I bleached that blade and moved that quick/ Cuz them man there love speak to the law”
“Lucifer, an angel that fell/ It’s no regret when I turn you pale”
So yeah, it’s dark, unnerving, and weirdly hypnotic too. Adding to the mood are the pitched down vocals layered over certain bars that make Lucii sound like a literal demon. Maybe it’s my nihilistic love for nasty, grim horror movies, but there’s something about this track that keeps bringing me back. I get that this one isn’t going to be for everyone, but that’s also kind of the point of the track I feel like. Demons, voodoo, juju, curses, brutal killings, lines mentioning specific people they may or may not have killed or assaulted. It’s a tough one and calling it appealing would be wrong, but there’s just something about it. Maybe they really did put a juju curse on it so once you hear it, you can’t stop. Like some Ring shit.
SD- Dennis The Menace
SD proves that despite all of the guys they’ve sadly lost over the years, Harlem Spartans, with MizOrMac, Loski, Blanco and SD, aren’t going anywhere. We’ll all be patiently waiting for a full Harlem Spartans tape.
38 Shamz- Running Man
I haven’t heard of 38 Shamz until I saw this video getting talked about on social media. A lot of people have mentioned how he’s recently changed up his sound to this more intense, auto-tuned style of rapping/singing. It’s loud and kind of squeaky, almost to the point of being grating. However, after a few listens, his melody and the emotion he put into the track really stuck out to me. Another one where I can understand the style not being for them, but it’s certainly something different. Maybe it was the Milwaukee Bucks tracksuit jacket he was wearing that ended up winning me over.
Wewantwraiths- Chanaynay
Another track that’s about a month old now, but I was late to checking it out. Catchy, fast auto-tuned flows with a ton of melody in them. A lot of people kind of liken him to a UK Lil Baby, but without the slurred, mumbled aspect. He isn’t drill, but he definitely has the chance to blow up and appeal to a lot of people outside of the UK.
Next, I’m going to link to the two most recent GRM Daily Duppy’s. As always, it’s punchline heaven. The first is Ivorian Doll, who as I mentioned in my Edna review, is the top up and coming woman in the drill scene right now. The second was actually released as I started working on this. It’s Clavish’s Daily Duppy. It’s another sign of improvement for Clavish, who seems to be right on the verge of getting much more attention.
I was going to end this with those two Daily Duppy’s, but ANOTHER track came out as I started writing this up. So here’s the last track of this week’s Fish N Spliffs:
Loski and Popcaan- Avengers
Speaking of the Harlem Spartans, Loski teamed up with superstar Jamaican OVO Sound artist Popcaan for a banger in “Avengers.” It’s a much more catchy, party oriented sound and stays away from Loski’s typical drill sound, like what we heard on “Anglo Saxon” last week. But still, his flow is unmatched, and he even flexes the vocals a bit on the chorus, preferring to sing it himself instead of having Popcaan handle it. Just getting a name like Popcaan on a track is huge, and this has all the potential to be a hit. It is a little sad to think that Loski’s increased output these last few weeks may be due to the fact that he’s currently fighting a gun charge, and may realize that isn’t going to end well. But “Avengers” can be added to the growing list of great Loski releases this year.
EDIT: ONE MORE I JUST CAUGHT AFTER PUBLISHING
This makes this a pretty Harlem Spartans centric edition, but it’s whatever. They posthumously released a new song by Bis called “Streets.” It just shows how talented he was, and how much of a heartbreaker it was to see him pass away just as the rest of Harlem was finding their way back home and back in the booth. Check it out. RIP Bis.
Bis- Streets
That’s it for this weeks order of Fish N Spliffs! I ended up having more tracks to talk about than I expected. I hope you enjoy the featured tracks this year, and be sure to check out the Headie One Edna album review if you haven’t already! As always, sending love to all of you wonderful people.