Artist: Prezsport (El Prez and Jansport J)
Album: Urban $treet Americana
Featuring: Glasses Malon, Kooley High, MED, Raven Sorvino, and Chris Focus
Released: November 14, 2013
Urban $treet Americana drops as the collaborative project from Prezsport, the duo comprised of California-bred rapper El Prez and producer Jansport J. Residing from the coast with palm trees and big beats, Prezsport packs its newest LP with 11 booming tracks, adding multi-dimensional sound for your stereo, a type of school book text for young street scholars still scheming for the next dollar.
The first track on the LP, titled “Niggas in America” opens up with Prezsport presenting the prevalent urban plight to get paid, letting naysayers know “See you at the top, ain’t no stopping us.” Striking hard like its lyrical swords is the track’s production, provided by Covina native Jansport J. Within a few seconds of its airplay, the car windows are going down (just to let the bullshit blow in the breeze). Adding a sense of urgency to reality, the late Tupac is sampled to close out the track, wherein he discusses the metaphorical act of knocking on doors to get fed alluding to the fact that after a while you stop knocking- out of sheer hunger, it’s to time to pick the locks and get yours.
Track number two “IFYA” gracefully keeps the momentum moving with a mellow groove; Jansport J is nice with the drum beats/ soul samples. El Prez implores listeners to get familiar, stating “If ya didn’t know, now you know.” Pressing us to keep our circle tight, he warns “If ya roll the dice, make sure it’s precise.” It’s not a game. This ain’t the NBA.
Track number three, titled “Same King” represents that essential head-nod inducing knock that every LP should have. With its distinguished demeanor depicting everyday struggles and “working from the bottom every day trying to live our dreams” you can tell Prezsport comes from a lineage that respects hard-work and honor. If wealth is of the heart and mind, and not the pocket that is, the chorus reckons that “(we) try to mold him, tell him he can be the same thing (same king)”
Track numero cuatro, “DropTops” is the LP banger. A musical nod to classic California lifestyle, it features a sample of Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” and The Pharcyde’s “Drop”. I need to be quiet, and you need to just turn it up, already. (!)
No, really. Press play.
Another track, “Hard Boiled” features Glasses Malone and offers no soft interior, sampling “Top Billin” and demanding to “stop schemin’ and lookin’ hard.” El Prez reflects on past times, stresses, and choices we make when at odds, summing up our collective perspective as “(looking at it) like it’s a blessing, destiny manifesting” Acknowledging Prezsport is “blessed with this profession, spreading the gospel”, and akin to “red and blue apostles”, Urban $treet Americana proves it’s out to spread truth for the young streets of U$A.
-Leslie Dizon (Aka Big L)
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