Scene

On the surface, YG appears to be just another young man who raps in front of a gang-banging backdrop. There's no shortage of that sort of rapper, especially from California where gangsta rap is front and centre for all to see, largely due to the fact that young men from California tend to have some sort of gang affiliation and that rapping is a legit career path for them.

As always, relying on a brief skim of the surface never really does anything or anyone justice and certainly not for YG. He started with a popular and critically acclaimed debut album in 'My Krazy Life' which was soon followed by a short-film called 'Blame It On The Streets' that was written by the man himself and also had him as the lead actor. There's a clothing line and general style that reflects YG's unique creative nature along with a desire to give back to his community and educate young men like himself.

When consider that YG dabbles in all of the above and oozes gangsta rap legitimacy (led by putting Bompton on the map), it's hard not to view YG as a unique package in the music business. I quickly became a fan and his new album 'Still Brazy' makes a bold statement, putting YG near the top of the hip hop game and I can't help but view him as the definition of gangsta rap right now -which includes many positive aspects. 'Still Brazy' came largely after YG was shot, consider that the icing on the cake in this unique package that is YG 4Hunnit.

Pops Hot Intro - Should have left Los Angeles, California
Don't Come To LA ft. Sad Boy, A.D. and Bricc Baby: Faux gang-bangers be warned.
Who Shot Me - Eerily West Coast sound, storytelling of the paranoid variety.
Word Is Bond ft. Slim 400 - Synth and keys, do what you say.
Twist My Fingaz - Street anthem, certified Cali sound.
Good Times Interlude ft. Syke 800, Duce, Marley Blu & Burnt Out - "The homie convo, turn into the money convo"
Gimmie Got Shot - Stop asking, concept jam.
I Got A Question ft. Lil Wayne - Piru.
Why You Always Hatin? ft. Drake and Kamaiyah - Impossible not to nod your head to this.
My Perception ft. Slim 400 - YG for the children.
Bool, Balm & Bollective - Storytelling once again, peep YG's switching flow.
She Wish She Was ft. Joe Moses and Jay 305 - Hoes don't make it easy for themselves.
YG Be Safe ft. The Homegirl - Try ya best YG.
Still Brazy - Not just the flow and tempo switching, YG shows versatility.
FDT ft. Nipsey Hussle - Not sure how safe USA will be if Donald Trump's in power. YG speaking for the hood.
Blacks & Browns ft. Sad Boy - YG again speaking for the hood and the trap they're in.
Police Get Away wit Murder - Closest thing to N.W.A. you'll hear.

Vibe

The vibe of 'Still Brazy' is undeniably gangsta, both in terms of being an actual gangsta, also in terms of a gangsta attitude. Not only that, but it a time when there's no shortage of rappers who wave guns and generally portray a gangsta image, 'Still Brazy' is stamped with a West Coast funk that isn't overly prevalent in hip hop. It's important to note that 'Still Brazy' comes after YG was shot as this event is translated into a large chunk of the album's content and YG perfectly offers an insight into the shenanigans of his past year or two.

A lot has gone down in YG's life, enough to provide YG with plenty to talk about but what stood out to me was that YG appears to embrace his position as a leader in the community. Not his physical community but a community of young people in a world that is led by older people and that is where I see YG making his boldest statement. There are a variety of tracks which show YG's perspective in this regard, whether he's getting a little political on 'FDT' or whether YG is speaking on the police's actions on 'Police Get Away wit Murder', or even YG noting that much of the problem facing young African-Americans isn't helped by the actions of his peers on 'Blacks & Browns'.

I'm happy to compare YG to a group like N.W.A in that YG is speaking on matters that need addressing, but he's doing so in a way that isn't done elsewhere in hip hop. The leaders of young hip hop for me are Kendrick Lamar and J Cole, yet they are poets while YG oozes a general West Cost 'I don't give a fuck' mentality that I kinda think many people need to hear.

Music

During the time of recording this album, YG and his regular collaborator DJ Mustard weren't on the best of terms which means that none of the production on 'Still Brazy' came from Mustard. As one of the hottest producers in the game right now, you'd expect that to impact 'Still Brazy' but it's quite the opposite as YG and the producers involved capture a sound that puts a modern twist on a typical West Coast sound. The production forces you to nod your head and tap your toes, while also providing YG plenty of room to flex with his ability on the mic.

DJ Swish is responsible for the most beats, credited on six songs while other producers involved include P-Lo, Martin, 1500 Or Nothin, CT Beats, Ty Dolla $ign and Hit-Boy.

Verse two, verse two
I got too much to spit for verse two
Just be careful on how you approach dude
Cause he done already heard about what you wanna do
Paranoia, paranoia
Paranoia down in killer California
What's their motive? What's their motive?
Shit, I'm the closest with some money that they know of
Lady problems, family problems
Homies problems, all this drama
On my mama, this the type of shit you sweat out in the sauna
Grandma pray for me, devil keep away from me Still Brazy

Gimmie wanted a lot
Gimmie wanted some money, Gimmie wanted a Glock
Gimmie wanted a spot at the top but he ain't work for it
Gimmie'll drown in that water without a surfboard
And I'm tired of that gimme shit
Cause my whole life ain't nobody gimme shit
Gimmie getting evicted on the first
And who did Gimme call? Nigga I was the first
Gimmie got handed everything he wanted when he wanted it
If he lost it, he wouldn't know how to recover it
Gimmie gon' fuck around and be a nigga who's homie made it
Out the streets but he was on bullshit so he ain't come with him
Niggas be like "Give me a hand out"
YG be like "Why your grown ass hand out?" Gimmie Got Shot

Finale

There's been a few bangin' albums this year and it feels like a never-ending supply of quality albums is being fed to us, of which 'Still Brazy' is one. YG nails a sound that I love and does a great job of carving out his own lane in hip hop where many artists are copying a sound that's hot. 'Still Brazy' is pure West Coast and there's nothing else like it out there at the moment which is reason to like it, but it's also a well thought out album that flows with ease.

The interludes and little voice tracks serve a purpose and 'Still Brazy' is equally as entertaining whether you are listening to it on shuffle or in order. We always love to see growth in an artist as well and YG shows creative growth as his skill in switching flows, finding little areas of the production to explore and his unique delivery (laid back) reaches new heights. There's also the personal growth, led by being shot but also evident in the subject matter that YG speaks on.

I've got no issues in calling 'Still Brazy' a West Coast classic.