This is what I want to hear from a rapper from the concrete jungle. Rising rapper Troy Ave calls on a couple of OGs in Raekwon, N.O.R.E., and Prodigy to represent the home team on “New York City.”
A gritty beat that’s just as gritty as the Brooklyn streets Troy occupies hosts the rapping quartet. Credit that to producer John Scino who laced the track with boom-bap drums and a haunting sample that hums. This inspires potent verses from Harry Powder and company. The up and comer even mentions Kendrick Lamar, calling him a “weirdo rapper.”
Clearly a rebuttal to the Compton rapper’s “Control” bars, we’d say “New York City” is one of the best rebuttals yet. Though inadvertent (or maybe not), Troy stuck to making good music that properly represents the Big Apple rather than jumping on the beat of the moment.
Expect more on his forthcoming mixtape, also titled New York City, when it drops later this month. Hear the cut below.
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Photo: Beats By Dre
