it's something about West Coast rappers.
There's something to study when it comes to Black music because how did two Black women from the East be influenced career-wise by West Coast music?
Jacquie: Hey girl hey! The idea made it out of the comments into the draft!
Amirah: Hey!! I am so excited about this!!
So a few weeks ago,
posted a tribute to Nipsey Hussle and baby, I was all on it with the idea for us to collaborate on a piece to show the West Coast some love.If you don’t know my story, my Substack publication experience has been my timestamp along my journey from the East Coast, which was home to my dream place to live….California. This piece is something I have wanted to write about for so long but I don’t normally write about music, I know music and I have a history with music, but I never wrote about music so this piece is a stretch to my creative pen.
Although we are going to highlight some of the West Coast artists from our experience, we know we are leaving out some of the key artists that shaped the West Coast sound. In my viewpoint, this is leaving room for other Black writers from that era to write about some of the greats like Tupac, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy E, E40, and so many more. I was born in 1990 y’all, that’s my mama’s lane but she was a West Coast music lover too so deep down I was destined to be a West Coast girlie. There are so many new and old artists that deserve a spotlight so don’t let this West Coast vibe die out if you feel like we do.
We each curated a playlist on our preferred streaming platforms for you to enjoy, below is the Apple Music playlist curated by
.Being from the East Coast, what is it about West Coast artists that influence your entrepreneurship?
Jacquie
For me, Nipsey Hussle taught me how to play the game and how to be self-made, and his music has been a huge influence on my big dreams. He showed those from the hood there’s a seat at the table, but it’s better to have your own. I understood the movement, and once I committed to the cause, the West Coast rapper’s narrative started to shape and mold that mindset.
Larry June’s music played a huge part in my move to California, especially the Bay Area. I believe when you manifest dreams into your reality, you do this by imagining yourself living that dream. In 2023, while in my downtown apartment in North Carolina, I would play Larry June’s playlist on my Spotify account and vibe all day while working. At this time I was managing independent artists and a freelance project manager for a Black-owned hair salon that sold their own products. Life was lit and Larry June’s music with some signature Nipsey Hussle songs mixed in had me feeling like I was already in California living at my full potential.
Made a thousand a hundred times this month, not too bad.
You got to treat it like a job if you want to make some dough, go hard everyday and never use the word no.
Seriously, with lyrics like this being used as affirmations to reprogram my mind, it’s not surprising to me that I treat Substack like a job, and I’m making money now, I got hard every day because I’m a Generator in my Human Design, so it’s chakra daily in my nature to which just so ha exhaust my happens to be the creative chakra. I used to tell my reiki clients to be intentional with the music they listen to because they are programming their subconscious mind with the lyrics of the songs. The beats are the frequencies that allow your mind to integrate the words into affirmations. That is the programming.
While some would say East Coast rappers like Jay Z have given our culture some inspirational words, I won’t disagree but the language of the West Coast resonates with my soul a little differently.
On the West Coast, especially here now, people move with the intention of their well-being first. It’s not the hustle culture in the Bay Area, but best believe niggas are getting money out here. I have been more lucrative with my creative ideas out West than I had ever been in the East. And that’s no shade to where I come from, but for me, I thrive best depending on my environment, and there is an energy on the West Coast that fueled my potential.
Amirah
I’m an East Coast girlie, for life but it’s still possible to have lots of love and respect for the West Coast! If you know me or have read any of my previous essays, you know that I am no stranger to discussing money. Our relationship with money, and the way we think and talk about it, are all incredibly important. Money is a beautiful resource and artists like Nipsey Hussle, Dom Kennedy, and Larry June have all had a way of talking about it that excites me!
In January 2019, I began investing in the stock market and cryptocurrency, after thoroughly doing lots of research on different companies, and also after watching a few interviews where I saw Nipsey talk about these topics.
I can go on and on about how influential Nip has been for me in business, in particularly highlighting the importance of diversifying your streams of income, especially passively. Larry June also talks a lot of about real estate, investments, and living an organic lifestyle which is right up my alley. Black Hippy, which consists of Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q, each hold a special spot in my heart. They’re music has each played a role in my life, in different chapters of this journey and I’m so grateful.
How have the West Coast rappers of this era impacted you on a personal level?
As we mentioned, the West Coast rappers of this era we’d be discussing are Nipsey Hussle, Dom Kennedy, Kendrick, Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, and YG.
They’re all pretty intertwined and a lot of them have songs together.
Nipsey Hussle & Dom Kennedy/ Nipsey Hussle & YG have quite a few songs together and then obviously Black Hippy have songs together but also all under the TDE umbrella.
Nipsey Hussle
Amirah
Nipsey was really 1 of 1. While I didn’t know him personally, listening to his music, watching his interviews, and connecting with his relatable personality made me feel like he was the homie. That was the thing with Nip. He was a special human being, deeply invested in everything important to me; ownership, spirituality, Black people/culture, wealth, health, and having a hustler’s mindset. I still play his music daily. It feels like just yesterday when I heard about him in 2013 with the release of Crenshaw. I was in college, taking a bunch of business and marketing classes. The idea of a rapper selling their mixtape for $100 seemed outrageous to some, but it was such a genius marketing move! It was something we had never seen before.
Nip continued to break barriers like having a smart store in his own neighborhood where you could make a purchase, scan the merchandise, and get exclusive releases. He was different. I quickly grew to not only respect his mindset but also his authenticity, integrity, and business acumen. His music felt very West Coast yet refreshing different than anything else from the West that I had heard.
When you truly sit and listen, whether it’s Nip’s lyrics and/or his interviews, you find countlessly affirmations and testimonies throughout. I could quote so many examples but this one right here stands out the most. My mind and heart often tussle back and forth over which of his projects is my favorite— Mailbox Money, Victory Lap, Slauson Boy 2, or Crenshaw. What I know for sure is that every day, even when I’m feeling every single emotion from my fashion styling and writing journeys, I turn to his track That’s How I Knew. When he said the powerful words, “I seen it, I thought it, I dreamed it. I said it, I did it, I meant it…I’m Godly, I’m gutta, I’m genius.” I could quote so many other examples of him gracing us with affirmations but this one stands out the most.
Nipsey has always been that artist that I felt just gets…IT; he understood the ebbs and flows of life. He reminds us that when you have goals and dreams, and clarity on your life’s purpose, you have to keep pushing forward. Each of his mixtapes, along with his album exudes level of a passion and perseverance that I resonate with to the core. It’s like he was reading my journal, fully aware of my aspirations and struggles.
On February 15, 2018, during NBA All-Star Weekend, I won two free tickets from TIDAL to see Nipsey perform in LA at Hollywood Palladium. When I submitted my info, I made sure to say my location was NYC, thinking they’d give me a few days’ notice if I won. But the problem was….TIDAL didn’t send me the email until that morning. I’ll never forget it. I was sitting at Starbucks (middle finger to them because it’s Free Palestine) on Court Street before my shift at my part-time job when the email came in. I almost fell out of my damn seat!
When I realized the concert was that night, I didn’t even panic. Like I usually do, my mind instantly shifted into “let me find a solution” mode. I called the guy I was dating at the time and told him, “Listen, I just won two tickets to see Nip tonight in LA and we need to check flights right now. We have to go, even if it’s just a quick trip. I will call out of work right now, I don’t even care.”
We both scrambled on every single flight website we could possibly think of, but because it was also All-Star Weekend, the prices were astronomical— like $1,300 one way, which was insane! At the time, there was no way either of us could spend thousands of dollars sporadically, so we chalked the idea. I was crushed but figured I would see Nip in concert eventually. Til this day, it hurts that I never got to see one of my favorite artists live. Listening to his music and watching his interviews can’t quite fill that void.
The day Nip was senselessly taken from us, I had just gotten back from the nail salon. My nails were a glossy, bright red—a color I usually never choose. While at the salon, my nail artist and I had been talking about Nip and Lauren London’s GQ photo shoot and their “30 Questions” video. They were so cute! I’ve always admired a man who’s both book and street-smart; that duality is something special.
But once I got home, my best friend T called me and asked if I had heard what happened to Nip. At first, hearing he got shot didn’t worry me too much; it’s very possible to get shot in certain areas and still survive. But once I got on Twitter, and started learning more details, a heavy wave of concern ran through my body. When the official news of his death broke, I was on the phone with one of my guy friends and I immediately started crying. I had shed a few tears when Aaliyah and Left-Eye passed away but in 2019, I was in a different space in my life and had already seen so much.
What struck me the most was not the loss of his music, or never being able to see him in concert but the thought of his children and family broke me down. I can count on both hands, if not more, the number of people (especially Black men) I know who have been murdered, leaving behind children or young adults who were still dealing with the trauma and grief of losing a parent as a child. It broke my heart that two more Black children would have to grow up in this world without their father; a figure who is extremely important, regardless of whether they are a girl or boy.
I am a firm believer that before God even physically places us here on Earth we are given a life’s purpose. I try my best not to question God but some things I guess we’ll never understand; none of us will. This is one of these moments. Nip had mixtapes upon mixtapes but he had just finally realized his first studio album, one he had been talking about and anticipating for many years. There’s no doubt in my mind that Nip had so much more he could have done in this world, in his community, in Black culture, and within the music industry but during his time here, his impact was immense and it will live on for many generations.
Jacquie
When Nipsey Hussle got murdered, I was in a relationship with this guy who was also a huge Nipsey fan. I remember him coming into the living room and telling me to sit down he had to tell me something. Naturally, I was nervous thinking he was about to end the relationship, but it was worse! He told me that Nipsey had just been shot outside his store and I dropped to the floor.
From the couch.
“He what?” I yelled as the tears ran down my face like a river during a three-day rain storm. I was distraught. Trying to make sense of the whole thing, I thought about the first time Nipsey’s music found me. I was in college, a fashion design major, and I was working on a new collection for a runway show opportunity. I was going to be the only Black student from an HBCU featured in this runway show that my childhood friend, Jessica, was a part of at her school.
This show was a big deal because, well, the school was a huge deal, so this opportunity was like my way out of the hood, and looking back, it was. I had to do my model’s hair and makeup for this show, but this was when I realized my love was for makeup, not design. I later applied on a wimp one day to MAC Cosmetics, got the interview, and secured the job. That’s how I met the guy I was with then. I got a position at Nordstrom with MAC Cosmetics, and my life took off. Over the years, one song that I come back to every time that puts me in that mindset to help me pivot is Young Nigga, when Nipsey asks, “What could make a nigga want to go and get it?”
Disclaimer: I am aware this song is featured with Mr. Monster. However, this is Nipsey’s song on the album he independently sold 100 copies in his hood.
Today this song still ignites my inspiration and takes me on a journey through my potential. Nipsey spoke life to the people who actually listen to his lyrics. He spoke a language we could understand and sprinkled gems for us to break free from the cultural conditionings.
“In the studio we slave but it’s shit we gotta say”
Nipsey’s music is showing me that my process for writing is the same as his for writing his music. I treat my writing like it’s work, I slave over my laptop because I have shit to say. When I lack inspiration it’s because I have not surrendered to my transformation trying to take place. Healing is not linear and it’s a lifetime’s work so I’m evolving daily but yet in my mind it’s still a paper chase, because of the society we live in. Nipsey in this song gave me the blueprint, he told me exactly what I needed to know to tap into my potential, just like he did with this album.
“You notice that you great and you been the whole time and it slaps you in your face.”
Think about a time when you noticed your greatness.
Now with feeling, what could you do with your greatness right now in your life? How could your greatness propel you in the moment?
“Salvaged a little bit, Young Nigga shit, pressure on your shoulders. How you gon’ deal with it? Say it’s all uncomfortable when you transition, but it’s all beautiful when you get rich in it. When you start killing shit and they all witness it.”
This man was teaching us in this song how to transform, how to pivot, how to transmute our pain into our greatest potential.
Nipsey was a genius.
Not only did he understand the streets, but he also understood how to free himself spiritually and found a way to preach his discoveries to his community. He inspired me to keep my hood aesthetic because people from the hood are intelligent too, and they understand when you decode the language. Nipsey Hussle and his music played a huge part in my spiritual journey which just so happened to turn into my book, Un-Trap da Hood.
Dom Kennedy
Amirah
If I had to categorize Dom Kennedy’s music, I would call it “feel-good music”. I was in college when my friend played me (BONUS) When You See Love. I was instantly in awe. The track was perfect; hip-hop but still a little softer vibe that the ladies could feel. I love that but I was also high-key mad that I had never heard of him before! His 2011 mixtape, The Original Dom Kennedy, is filled with bangers that I still listen to regularly. Dom is super underrated and deserves to always be mentioned alongside rappers like Nip and Kendrick.
I’m always quick to tell anyone discussing music that the Yellow Album and Get Home Safely are two of the best projects to ever grace hip-hop and my ears. They both served as soundtracks to my college days. The lyrics, beats, and features are all pure perfection. I‘ve always felt a clear connection with Dom’s music because he always raps about real shit: making money, having a good time, getting fly, spreading good energy, and dropping gems along the way.
A few days after my 21st birthday, a friend and I went to see Dom in concert at the Trocadero Theatre in Philly. I still think about that concert from time to time. We rapped every single lyric with him and though it was a smaller venue, the crowd still showed up and showed out! I’ll forever be grateful for Dom’s presence in the hip-hop world and, from what I’ve seen on socials, he seems like a real down-to-Earth guy. I enjoy seeing the responses he posts on his stories to questions in his DM about real-life things like how he stays motivated, his favorite books, etc. It’s a reminder that artists are indeed humans just like us. Dom Kennedy makes timeless music and I’ll be well into my 60’s rapping, “I’m on point, that’s not the 300, it’s the Rolls Royce” because Platinum Chanel will always be my jam.
Jacquie
I remember when I first heard and saw Dom Kennedy, ladies iykyk. I agree with Amirah that he creates feel-good music. I remember when My Type of Party came out in 2012, being in college, throwing a party, and this song played. I was super lesbian during this time but still equally in denial. I was flirting with this pretty girl and having fun, but lowkey, I had a secret boyfriend at a different college an hour away.
So when this song started playing I felt it when Dom said, “Your girl got a cute face, her friend got a nice body, they just want to have fun, this my type of party!”
The way he flows on the beat is smooth, and when you listen to what he is saying, the man is a true LA nigga. He is about his money, but he knows the game. The way he organizes his songs, he is talking to the ladies but speaking the language of the niggas, so his music resonates with everyone. Even the old heads will listen, nodding because the beats are so smooth. Larry June has a similar feel about his music.
There is a Dom Kennedy song that activates my inner girl boss and puts me on the right frequency to make some major moves in my career. Since working on this article, I have listened to this song at least three times a day back to back. Something about when she says lost a couple of thousands but I got it right back, never in your feels when you got it like that, puts me in the mindset to take the risk. For one, I know spiritually I am protected when I follow divine guidance, so why allow my fear to hold me back I know I’ll get it right back.
That’s called faith.
They really been sleeping on me time to wake them up like that time in the morning.
I’m making boss moves. I’m making making boss moves!
Stacks on Stacks.
Schoolboy Q
Amirah
At the end of July, I went to go see Schoolboy Q in Brooklyn during his Bluelips tour and a time was had! I was jammin’, rapping the whole entire time and he performed my favorite song of his, Blessed.
That track is so vulnerable and personal. I’ll always love it when men express that side of them. It’s important and it’s necessary. It sucks that Blessed isn’t available on any streaming platforms besides SoundCloud. The crowd went completely crazy when the beat dropped.
Schoolboy Q’s music is undoubtedly gangsta rap, but something about his authenticity drew me in very early in on his career. I saw him mention in an interview late last year how he almost got kicked out to T.D.E. in the beginning because he was still in the streets heavily and wasn’t taking his music serious enough. Thank God he got his shit together! Imagine life with no Blank Face or Oxymoron? Nope, actually I don’t even want to imagine something like that. Both those albums are perfect from start to finish. That’s how much of his discography is but I digress.
What’s always been so beautiful to me is again, the whole aspect of duality. While it’s clear as day that Schoolboy Q’s music is categorized under Gangsta Rap, he also seems like a cool-ass, weird-ass homie; We’ve seen this in his interactions with this artist friends like Tyler The Creator, Mack Miller (RIP), and A$AP Rocky. He also doesn’t shy away from making songs like Drunk, Studio (which he’s mentioned multiple times that he hates this song but it’s still a bop to me), and Groovline, Pt.1 (feat. Dom Kennedy and Currency).
The first time I saw Schoolboy Q perform was at the Made In America festival in Philly in 2012. By that time, Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions had already been released, so I was a fan. But when I saw him in concert this year, the joy seeing him was different. If you’re a true fan of Schoolboy Q, you’ve had the pleasure of witnessing his evolution as both an artist and a man in such a beautiful way.
He’s been pretty open about his addiction to drugs like Percocet, Xanax, and Lean, but now we see him playing in golf tournaments and being a soccer dad. It’s especially cool for fans because from the sidelines and behind phone screens, we’ve seen his daughter Joy grow up—remember how young she was when she was on the cover of his Oxymoron album? I feel old. But I’m also overjoyed for Schoolboy Q. He looks super healthy and happy. His energy was amazing at the Bluelips Tour. Seeing and listening to him in this new stage of his life truly makes me smile. It’s beautiful to watch someone whose music you’ve enjoyed transition through different phases of life and continue to come out on top.
Jacquie
Okay, California rappers in my opinion are some of the smoothest men I’ve come across. They are balanced not only in their masculine energy but also in their feminine energy.
Schoolboy Q is one of those smooth, balanced Cali niggas.
Anytime I hear his music, it’s like turning on the vibe like a light switch. Call it instant vibe music. One of my favorite songs by Schoolboy Q is Studio, when that song first came out I used to play this song on repeat. The way he rode that playa-ass beat and he switched up the cadence in his flow multiple times.
That li-li-li-li part. iykyk.
I can’t lie; this year got me feeling like Man of the Year, but THat part is how I’m wrapping up the year. Bang this shit in the hood one time lil bitch I’m back and popping!
Honestly, Schoolboy Q has so many classics that I still listen to. He has timeless music that will have your head nodding while you spark up. Schoolboy will leave you Floating.
YG
Amirah
People often look at me sideways or are shocked when I say this, but YG’s My Krazy Life is one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. It’s true! I don’t make the rules; I just state facts. In 2014, I was in college, working my tail off in the books and at my full-time job while also partying it up every chance I could. And best believe with YG’s lyrics and Mustard doing the majority of the production on this album, how could I not dance and have a good time? This entire album is so LA, so West Coast and it’s truly stands out as one of the best debut albums to ever be released. When I’m in the gym, I often play songs off this album, especially “Left, Right”! He said “I got that best stroker, I don't need no pipe test” ooou, I giggle every time but I truly love it when Black men talk that talk!
When I first heard, I was instantly hooked like, “Okay, he’s talking about home invasions…that’s a little problematic but I’m not gonna judge; these other more upbeat tracks though? Oh, I can jam to this.” My Krazy Life was my first true introduction to him. He’s truly a West Coast gem! I love seeing him on red carpets, at an award shows, or even at photo shoots. YG is so swaggy and fly. He keeps it fresh, and clean but still hood. Again, there goes that duality I love seeing from a man!
I also loved the brotherhood that YG and Nip had. It was beautiful and you could see he deeply appreciated Nip’s presence in his life and valued his words. What YG did with protesting and releasing FDT was so important. I listen to that song all year round but I especially remember blasting it for hours out of my Bedstuy window in 2020, and come this November, it’ll be played everywhere I go.
Jacquie
I have always been a fan of YG’s authenticity and how he shows up as himself no matter where he is, or how big of an artist he becomes.
On the track, Last Time I Checc’d, with Nipsey Hussle, his verse shows how honorable of a real nigga he truly is. Something about his words sent signals through my energetic aura rooting me deeper in my mission. I show up for the culture, to preserve our culture, to debunk the lies about what it truly means to be Pro-Black or Black in general.
YG is one of those rappers from the West Coast that stands out, in my opinion. He shows up to the functions dressed in the finest clothing, but you better believe it’s going to be thugged out. There is this audio I have used time and time over the years of this Black dude saying, “I just seen a rainbow, I’m thugged out nigga, but that shit was beautiful than a mfing, my baby mama was probably at the end of that bitch with her gold-digging ass.”
That audio is what I picture YG’s personality being like if you were to hang out with him. He seems like a chill Earth guy, but when he raps you realize he is very smart but also hood.
My Nigga will most definitely be on the playlist for the first BlackStack meetup and for the retreat. It’s almost a Black culture anthem for the hood culture.
Kendrick Lamar
Amirah
Whew, my fellow Air sign who never hesitates to remind us that he is a Gemini—like his actions (especially this year) don’t already show it. K. Dot, Kung Fu Kenny, King Kunta, Cornrow Kenny! When you talk about true artists and entertainers he has no choice but to be mentioned in the conversation. There’s really no one he can be compared to.
I always say this, but none of his five of his studio albums, mixtapes, and EP, and sound the same. Each one presents a different version of Kendrick Lamar. However, the common thread among them is storytelling. Storytelling is so important to me as a creative, artist, and writer. It makes everything about a project even more intriguing, relatable, and personal, and instantly draws me into wanting to hear more. Kendrick loves a good story; from the way he starts and ends good kid, m.A.A.D. city to DAMN., he takes us on a journey. He’s unpredictable but consistent in that theme, which I love for us as fans and for his creativity.
For a long time, I couldn’t pick a favorite Kendrick Lamar album, but within the past few years. I can easily say it’s To Pimp A Butterfly. I’ve listened to this album more times than I could ever count and it never gets old. I love butterflies; I have a big blue that I got tattooed on my back for my eighteenth birthday. They hold a special meaning for me. The concept of him viewing himself as a butterfly, wanting to speak his goodwill across the world while feeling “pimped” by records labels was pure genius. He’s a mastermind at his craft. His brilliance and artistry could never be denied. Don’t even get me started on how his two tracks, “u” and “i” resonate so deeply with me. I’ve cried to both songs more times than ten. From the darkness of self-criticism to the beauty of self-love; I get chills thinking about it. The funkiness and 70s feel of TPAB, intertwined with hip-hop is *chef-kiss* perfection. The features and productions from Pharrell, Bilal, Knxwledge, Rapsody, Thundercat, and so many more greats just made the album that much more amazing.
I saw Kendrick Lamar in 2012 at the Made in America festival when I saw Schoolboy Q but a decade later I saw him at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn for his Mr. Morale tour and I was blown away. My seats weren’t even super close but it felt like I was. The energy throughout the crowd was unforgettable. He’s easily in my top five favorite rappers of all time. The impact he has on music, storytelling, and let’s not forget he’s the one and only rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize award; speaks volumes.
Jacquie
It’s so much for me to say about Kendrick Lamar, he is up there on my top favorites list. I want to work with Kendrick on a creative project so badly, and the way I manifest I won’t be surprised when it happens. I once fantasized about this and wrote a fictional storyline scripting how I could imagine the whole thing playing out.
Wow, this was literally the same time that I launched
.Looking at the way Kendrick has built his career and brand while still bringing his homies up the ladder with him has inspired me. I can see so much of me through watching his journey and that keeps me going so much harder.
When Not Like Us dropped, it was once I made it to California, making me feel a part of history. I felt at home, it felt like I belonged here. Since college, I’ve been a huge fan of Kendrick Lamar, especially because I viewed him as the connecting curator of so many great artists merging at the same time. He curated songs featuring his people, giving them a platform to showcase their voices.
That’s me, that’s BlackStack.
Ab-Soul
Jacquie
Ab-Soul brings me back to college when I was first introduced to weed and diving heavily into the West Coast lifestyle. Although I don’t remember the exact moment I became the pro-Black activist I am today, I do remember the first time I heard Terrorist Threats and knew I was fighting for something much greater than me.
Listening to the words of Ab-Soul, Danny Brown (oh how I loved me some Danny Brown during this era), and Jhene Aiko fueled some of my revolutionary movement expressions. The topics in this song are truths that our community has continued to turn their cheeks to.
“if we could link up every gang, we’d put the White House lights out today”
“lying to the public like it ain’t nothing, I just love it, I hope it don’t stop”
It’s no secret that I disagree with the normalized agenda of the New World Order, and if you aren’t familiar then this is part of the greater problem in our community. We are dealing with a very organized and strategic group of individuals and their plans have played out to perfection for many years because the human race as a whole has conformed to the new way of order.
No pushback. No fight. We pick a number and get in line. This behavior I’ve rebelled against since I can remember, and music from Ab-Soul has always made me feel seen and given me hope that I can make a change or at minimum ignite the spark of change. Ab-Soul reminds me of the new term being used to identify the young Black men of the Hood Culture, YNs. And Nipsey already told us that, Young Niggas, are going to change the world.
Amirah
Listen, Ab-Soul…he’s truly for the soul. His music has blessed me in so many ways and I am grateful for that. A few weeks ago, I listened to Control System for three days straight as if it was my first time ever hearing it. I just could not turn it off and honestly, could you blame me? From his solo tracks to his features, his lyrics will grab a hold of your mind and twist it all up. What you thought you knew, gets called into question, making you question your entire existence after listening to Ab-Soul. The Book of Soul still makes me super emotional, so I have to skip past that one. It’s wild to think he released that album back in 2012—twelve years ago! What a time to be alive. I mean his verses on Ab-Soul’s Outro on Kendrick Lamar’s Section.80 spoke volumes alone: “What’s your life about? Enlighten me. Is you gone live on your knees or die on your feet?…We might not change the world but we gone manipulate it, I hope you participatin'.” Whew!
When I started listening to his music, I just knew this man was a Pisces. His lyrics are mystical yet thought-provoking. He’s so wise, making you say, “Wait what?”, when you really dive into his word. Pineal Gland is my jam! The pineal gland is a small gland in our brains that produces melatonin but spiritually, it’s a key organ for clairvoyance and meditation. It connects the physical and spiritual worlds and is often referred to as our third eye because of its central location. It’s also said to resemble the Eye of Horus but that’s a whole different and much deeper conversation for another time.
The thing with Ab-Soul is that his message can go over your head if you aren’t listening closely. Thank God I always pay attention. His track, The Law (feat. Mac Miller and Rapsody) is one of my favorite songs of all time. I don’t think many people are familiar with that song or paid too much attention to his Do What Thou Wilt album, released back in 2016. I remember countless many times standing at the Jay St - MetroTech station, waiting for the F train so I could go to work, listening to that album during my commute.
When he sat down with Charlamegne and talked about his suicide attempt, it made me so sad but also happy to see his vulnerability to able to talk about such a heavy subject. You never know what people are going through. Having celebrity status or lots of money doesn’t make them any less human. I’m grateful he’s still here, in better mental, spiritual, and physical health.
Jay Rock
Amirah
Have you ever wished you could listen to an artist’s music for the first time again? That’s how I feel about Jay Rock. From the moment I heard his distinctive, raspy LA voice tearing up his verse on Kendrick’s Money Trees track, I knew he was a problem! Like Schoolboy Q, Jay Rock embodies gangsta rap, but there’s something different about his words and presence compared to the rest of Black Hippy.
I rarely hear people mention Jay Rock in hip-hop/music conversations, and I really don’t like that, at all. During my first summer living in Brooklyn, 90059, was released and I played that album nonstop! It was in steady rotation for me. Tracks like Gumbo, Easy Bake (feat. Kendrick Lamar), and Vice City (duh) are some of my favorites.
In September of 2018, I got to see him perform live during his Redemption tour in NYC. Let me just say, that I will buy a ticket immediately whenever his next album drops. He was such a vibe! I had a great time. Redemption is an album I don’t hear people mention enough and they really should. I remember an interview at the end of 2018 and Nip mentioned that Jay Rock also had one of the best albums of the year and I thought, “Thank God! At least someone else knows great music when they hear it!”.
I’m not the type to pressure artists to put out music; I understand how creativity works. I just hope he’s taking his time but I’m a forever fan and will be here to support him when he drops something!
Jacquie
Dear God, I want to thank you for letting me be a real nigga.
If I am completely honest, I never really connected with Jay Rock or his music. However, that song, Knock It Off, truly resonated with me when he said “You ain’t me nigga knock it off, you ain’t me bitch, knock it off.”
I felt that, and it’s so relevant right now in the stage I have entered in my own life right now. Every day when I wake up, I truly thank the Universe for letting me be a real nigga. While I’m a beautiful woman, I am a real nigga to my core. It doesn’t get more real than me; it ain’t nobody saying the real shit that needs to be said but me. And that’s not me being cocky or arrogant like Jay Rock said in the song, I’m on 10, I go in, I just pop, I just win.
My life since taking that leap of faith to move to California has been that one line time after time. The experiences of my life have had me higher than Cloud 9, putting me on 10. When I go in and get laser-focused on my craft, perfecting my penmanship, the results lead to me popping out and winning. That’s what the influence of the West Coast and the music has done for me: turned me into a winner, baby!
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I’m all eyes on it 👀