Fast on the heels of Heems’ Nehru Jackets mixtape comes the next solo venture from the Das Racist camp. This time around, it’s the bearded homie Vic aka KOOL A.D. dropping 51, a 22-track-deep tape. On it, Vic stays true to his bi-coastal nature; like a musical colossus of Rhodes, he’s got one foot firmly rooted in the Bay, and the other planted somewhere in central Brooklyn.
And it works well – if anything, 51 is a testament to the fact that it’s possible to find common threads in the #based movement and the Nu York underground sounds, two technically distinct approaches to hip hop that haven’t seen a ton of crossover. Not an easy thing to do, and it requires the right person with the right vision. Vic’s done it once here, and the question now is who can take it the next step of the way.
And for the record: the Bay represents with verses from Main Attrakionz, Green Ova and Boots Riley from the Coup, and production from Amaze 88 and one of my personal favorites, Trackademicks. NYC is repped by Heems, Meyhem Lauren and Kassa Overall, and backed by beats from Mike Finito, Ketchphrase and more. It’s a packed house.
