Project of the week: OG Swaggerdick – Flaccid Rap
OG Swaggerdick is, I believe, a more dynamic songwriter than many probably give him credit for. Some most likely watch his eccentric videos and assume that the Dorchester native is just some goofy Odd Future offspring with a pestering comedic sensibility (to be fair, he partially is).
But his playfulness is much more than some outlandish gag. Songs like 2016’s “Fuck Donald Trump” and 2018’s “Fuck Gentrification” are politically-driven chants that offer plainspoken realities for those who are marginalized, and ultimately disregarded by political vultures (Boston is still the third most gentrified city in the country). The latter’s music video runs parallel to a lot of Swaggerdick’s videos—unconstrained, intimate, and purposely homegrown. His best visual work involves the natural connection he has with his community, as well as his innate ability to put himself out there in a city that is historically known for its bad driving and rude residents. You’ll find his bubbly personality in local corner stores, subway trains, and on city sidewalks. Much like Eric Andre (who’s show OG appeared on at one point), Swaggerdick has a knack of grabbing the attention of strangers by just being hilariously erratic.
More often than not, his nomadic idiosyncrasies bleed into the music, as well. When he’s not using comedy as an avenue for forthright proclamations, his songs are simply funny as hell. His new project, Flaccid Rap, is less a parody than it is an absurd sugar high that never lets its foot off the gas. In fact, other than the title itself, the only other musical reference to Chance the Rapper’s magnum opus is the soulful crooning found on Flaccid Rap’s into track. OG uses the classic Gospel-tinged samples on “Good Ass Intro” to sing “Even bigger than I was the last time baby/Please come suck on this wood” in a similar cadence (I think YN Jay and OG Swaggerdick are the only two modern rappers who make me laugh uncontrollably at times).
From there, OG puts on a clinic with off-kiltered flows, a song about fucking other people’s girls like Derrick Fisher, and confident bars about being fresh as salad while getting high with his boys. It’s the type of project that somehow gets wackier (in a good way) as it progresses. The standout in my opinion is “Olives,” a track that features OG squealing as if someone is punching him in the stomach while he’s rapping.
Flaccid Rap puts a smile on your face for a little under 20 minutes. It’s a reminder that OG’s greatest attribute as an artist is bringing the community together any way he can. Rude people be damned.
YN Jay – “AHHHHH Pt. 2” (feat. Sada Baby)
YN Jay’s alter egos are just as intriguing as any in rap’s history. His transformation from coochie man to ninja warrior doesn’t necessarily signal some grand musical or lyrical deviation, but it does at the very least give us insight into his other influences that don’t involve genitalia and dookie crumbs (lol). When him, Enrgy (who continues to make curb-stomping beats unlike anyone else in Flint), and Sada Baby come together, magic naturally happens. Sada’s lyric, “Start a fight with my one of my fans to test my hands/Whoop his ass, then autograph his baby mama pants” is also just pure genius.
Peewee Longway – “Skydiving”
Despite having obvious Gucci influences—whether it be flow or vernacular—Peewee Longway’s new collaborative album with Atlanta’s Trap Sinatra (better known as Cassius Jay), Longways Sinatra 2, is probably the most entertaining Atlanta-bred album since Lil Keed’s Trapped on Cleveland 3. Peewee attempts different styles without ever sacrificing his main aesthetic.
The project’s climax is “Skydiving,” quite honestly the best country trap song I’ve heard in at least a few years. Over a southern guitar riff and jangly bells, Peewee sings to his girl about being a country boy, buying Birkin bags, and rocky mountain climbing. Atlanta always finds a way to one-up themselves.
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Flo Milli – “Roaring 20s”
The press release Flo Milli sent out for this song tells me that she’s very hands-on in the studio. In fact, based on her thoughtful prose about flappers and the original Roaring Twenties, it seems like she already had the vision for the song in mind before Kenny Beats even pulled out the Fiddler on the Roof sample. Her debut project, which I wrote about in a previous roundup, proved that she has an ear for classic hip hop staples. This song now proves that she’s willing to proceed in quirkier directions. I’m all for it.
Larry June (feat. Dej Loaf) – “Feels so Right”
This song came out a while go, but the beat has this west coast kick that only should be played while breezing down the freeway. A slower version of the instrumental has already been used for an Rx papi track, which is awesome, because he might be the hardest working musician at the moment (he literally releases a song every two days).
“Feels so right” proves that Larry June might be the best at capturing fluorescent scenes of high-luxury lifestyle. Loaf’s chorus meanwhile feels like a much-deserved victory lap that simply ties it all together like a perfectly-wrapped gift.
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