“Daequan…I told your mama she should’ve moved.” YG’s father yells. “All this bullshit…her fault,” he continues, “Ms. I can’t leave Los Angeles, California.” YG begins his album with an interesting perception of the thought process of many of those in the South Central Los Angeles community known for its history of gang establishment and violence. YG’s new album, Still Brazy, is a natural progression from My Krazy Life. He maintains the deep connection to the synth and whistle-heavy music that the west coast is known for, but it can easily be noticed that YG is developing both in rap and sound. He truly brings the essence of west coast hip hop and does it in a way that only YG can.
YG returns just as raunchy and aggressive as ever. Now, he has almost a deep sense of “street” understanding in the way he rhymes over each track. In “Who Shot Me?” YG chronicles an incident he had after a Studio City recording session, “My grannies prayers worked, cause it could’ve got worse. I’m talking pictures on the shirt”. This is just a sample of YG displaying a more knowledgeable lyricism as he develops more musically. You can tell that he is deeply affected by events since the release of My Krazy Life. He wrestles with the reality of what the "streets" are, and in typical fashion, YG takes us into the heart of Compton with his distinctive descriptions of not only the situations that he faces in both the hood and Hollywood but also, how these experiences shape him, make him more paranoid, and deeply change the ways in which he lives his own life.
In “I Got a Question”, YG, with the help of Lil Wayne, contemplates deeply when he won’t have to deal with these day-to-day experiences. The streets don’t seem to be all danger and strife, however. In “Twist My Fingaz”, a track that guarantees to become a west coast club track, YG celebrates the glory of the gang life. The chorus chants, “I just do my dance, cuff my pants, and twist my fingers with my hands,” accompanied by a classic talkbox and west coast whistle. Then, YG features Drake and up-and-comer Kamaiyah on another track that darkens the traditional west coast synth into a solid single that celebrates the dissenters that come with success. And we can never contest that YG is just a sufferer in the culture. He comes back with an absolute bang in “Gimmie Got Shot”, a track the tells the story of a gimme-individual or someone who asks others for what they need without making the effort to get their own. You can guess what happened to Gimmie.
YG even takes a step into politics and culture with his final tracks: the single “FDT” which features Nipsey Hussle and “Blacks & Browns” which brings on Sad Boy. FDT is a protest song to this year’s Republican nominee. Nipsey Hussle proclaims, “Reagan sold coke, Obama sold hope, Donald Trump spent his trust fund money on the vote”. YG even goes further to suggest the deep connection to the Mexican population of California in his deep condemnation of Donald Trump’s efforts to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. Then YG, in the next track, combats the violence in his community between his own people. He says, “We need to stop hating on what the next black got, give him his props, figure out how he ran shop, so our kid’s kids can be good”. He once again demonstrates a deep understanding of the issues that his community faces while being fully entrenched in the evils within his home.
YG’s main objective with this album seems to be to deliver us the gangsta rap of the 90s that’s simply hard-to-find in the new era of computer whistles and synths. YG bounces and spits with an energy reminiscent of that of NWA. His style and energy act with rebellion and a hardcore push. “Police Get Away wit Murder” aggressively attacks the issues of police brutality. The reason that this album is truly one to be remembered is because it covers several facets of what is typical of west coast music while still being progressive in its approach. YG discusses the evils of the hood, the joys, the dances, and the underlying thought that accompanies living in an area in which the enforcers and the enforced can all be dangerous. Despite being a deeply thoughtful album, this album remains a cohesiveness and a smooth west coast bounce that is undeniable. Overall, I give YG’s Still Brazy a 4/5 and I highly recommend that you give it a listen.
