Big Moochie Grape, Gucci Mane Heir Apparent
Some thoughts on 'Nightmare On AB'. +reviews of Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams, YL & Another Planet
Over the past weekend, I immersed myself in the world of Gucci Mane.
Prompted by reading his startling new book "Episodes," a memoir about his lifelong struggles with mental illness co-written by the exceedingly talented author Kathy Iandoli, I concurrently dove into several of the the Atlanta Trap God's seminal mixtapes. Among my listens these last few days were the Trap-A-Holics presented Brick Squad is the Army, Better Yet The Navy and Street Runnaz 37 (hosted by DJ Spinatik), both dating back to the early-to-mid 2010s. Though the sometimes harrowing tales he tells in the book had me reconsidering much of my understanding of Radric Davis as both an artist and a man, this particular period remains my favorite era of his music.
As I revisited tracks like "Choppers on Deck," "Stash House" (the OJ Da Juiceman joint, not the Back To The Traphouse one), and "Young N*****," I remembered how much Gucci's discography specifically got me–a die-hard NYC hip-hop head–excited about trap music back in those days. His mordant wit, taste in beats, and supreme A&R skills had so many of us logged onto sites like Datpiff eagerly downloading and consuming anything he touched. Years later, with a hip-hop media ecosystem far more interested in gossip than music, it can be easy to forget just how many stars he helped mint, like Migos and Young Thug, as well as those who benefitted from his co-sign including the late Young Dolph.
Falling in love with that particular type of boundary-pushing trap in the 2010s, however, had the unintended effect of souring me on the blandly ubiquitous, deeply commercialized and woefully templated version of this music in the current half-decade. Gucci was a pioneer in blending narcotized narratives with violent ones, but he did so by crafting hooks and spitting verses that drew listeners into that lifestyle. It's a shame that so few of those making what would be considered trap nowadays seem capable of capturing the dark magic of that work, instead seemingly going through the motions while failing to take the sound much further.
One clear exception to this state of affairs is Big Moochie Grape. Signed to Dolph's Paper Route EMPIRE since 2020, he's a worthy heir to Gucci's true legacy, both as part of the wider 1017 lineage and specifically as a rapper who understood the proverbial assignment. Swapping East Atlanta for East Memphis, he spent the past five years on that label dropping hard-hitting projects like East Haiti Baby, Eat Or Get Ate and its plus-sized deluxe sequel, with tracks that build upon the Brick Squad glory days. He's even done tracks with 1017 signees, linking with a freed Ralo on the PRE-heavy posse cut "Swimming With Dolphins" and the tragically departed Big Scarr on the posthumous pairing "Trap A Lil Harder."
On Nightmare On AB, released amid the annual Halloween hip-hop surplus from rappers looking to capitalize on the spooky season, Moochie makes as strong as case as ever for taking on the Gucci Mane mantel. He even namechecks his undeniable influence on "Humongous," a booming Cee-O production in which he likens himself to Mr. Perfect while going through an unrelenting bar barrage. His unpretentious yet quite clever lyricism carries the eight-song effort, from his so icey opener "Got Me Fucced Up" through the closing hood motivational "Let's Go." He boasts charisma and confidence on cuts like the sinister "I Earned It" and the mythos-building "Meaning Of Gigantic," stacking his rapper paper methodically while simultaneously serving the fiends on "Don't Miss." While his forthcoming proper album debut might not speak as strongly to his hometown's horrorcore history, Moochie clearly stands prepared to live up to his greater potential.
Fatboi Sharif & Roper Williams, Goth Girl On The Enterprise
Halloween may be over, but the horrors persist. Seizing the moment like a gloved hand around a reddening neck, the New Jersey duo behind such groundbreaking and unsettling efforts as Gandhi Loves Children and Something About Shirley returns with another hard-to-characterize collaboration. Fatboi Sharif remains one of rap's most idiosyncratic and impenetrable, while producer Roper Williams seems to revel in the disruptive opportunities afforded by their ongoing partnership. Beginning with the rumbling, buzzing title track, Goth Girl On The Enterprise projects their macabre interests in unapologetic fashion, continuing to execute their increasingly oblique strategies in relatively short, if deliberately harsh bursts. On "Death In June," a song whose title invokes a problematic underground neo-folk act, Sharif skulks in the shadows of dissonance until his bellows and laughing fits become uncontrollable. Later, he moans and groans over the hypnotic Jersey club throb of "Seance" before receding from view entirely on the caustic outro"Red Carpet Inn."
YL & Another Planet, Bad News
RRR meets Tase Grip most momentously on this collaboration between the two collectives. With YL repping the former and the duo of Phiik and Lungs holding down the latter, plus Japanese producer ill sugi behind the boards, Bad News illustrates precisely why these are three of the most talented rappers currently operating in the New York area. As anyone familiar with these fine wordsmiths would expect, this is a rhyme fest of expansive proportions and detailed precision, coming out the gate with "D.B.C.S." and the archly laidback "OffTheWakeUp" in true-to-form fashion. Breezy, almost placid boom bap instrumentals buoy their whip smart verses and xyzzy flows on "All Hail The Claw" and "Brain Rot," while more rugged iterations like "Jawn Dough" reveal an inherent toughness.
Three new tracks to snack on...
Radicule., "RADDY'S WORLD"
Navy Blue, "Orchards"
Che Noir & 7xvethegenius, "Sum Of Two Evils"
