Although the bulk of Troy Ave’s latest full-length, New York City: The Album is unadulterated street Hip-Hop, “Cigar Smoke” gives us hope that lyrical rap with a more upbeat vibe still has a shot at radio play.
One viewing of the swanky clip and no one can accuse Troy of fakin’ jax; shooting a video with no relation to the song. The Brooklyn underdog gets dapper for the visual, sporting a bowtie to play off his Cohiba-puffing don image. A scantily clad Blondie accents the scenery with her killer thigh tattoo and newcomer King Sevin does NY proper with his guest spot.
There’s also a Hip-Hop violation of Cristal drinking but we’ll sweep that one under the rug.
The 28-year-old MC has been making a splash in 2013 for his focus on bringing the traditional sounds of NYC back to Hip-Hop listener’s ears. Ultimately it makes his 2014 that much more promising.
Check the video of “Cigar Smoke” and don’t forget to check out his latest LP.
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Photo: YouTube
