Mixtape Review: Trinidad Jame$, 10 Pc. Mild
(Photo: Courtesy of Gold Gang Records)
Trinidad Jame$ has been accused of a lot of things in his rookie year, but one thing he's never been called is "lyrical." He knows that, however, and doesn't cater to the backpack crowd with one-liners. Instead, the Trinidad-born MC who grew up all over the place, sticks to what he does best, and his 10Pc. Mild stays true to the Atlanta club-scene where he apparently pulled inspiration for this favorite menu item.
On the introductory track "WutEL," Jame$ spends the first minute taking the listener through an overture of sorts before turning up for the last minute. If you ever want to see a club destroyed in less than 60 seconds, this intro should help facilitate that.
The tone set for the rest of the mix, the "All Gold Everything" rapper successfully fuses the crunk sound of the early 2000s with today's "ratchet rap" on songs like "Jumpin' Off Texa$," which very well could have been called "Tear Da Club Up 2013," and the Travi$ Scott assisted banger "Up!!!," on which the refrain perfectly describes the objective. "F--k this b---h up, we gon' tear this s--t down!" And once again Travi$ showed why he is one of the hottest newcomers in the game.
Jame$ tones it down for a moment and gets his Future on as he half sings and half moans on "Hip Club." With an angelic singer serenading the listener to go along with the notably melodic track, the gold tooth rapper describes his perfect hipster-themed strip club. "She live by fear/She die by choice/ Her skin the color of your choice/Fishnets for stockings trying to get her stock up/Rubber bands tie her locks up/The music open hearts that lock up," he rapped on one of 10 Pc. Mild's cleaner verses.
Fabo, Danny Brown (who killed it for his part) and Playa Fly take over the track on "Quez," which goes back and forth between sounding like a club banger and a drunk parody. "Quez," along with "HomeGirl$," serve as the mixtape's requisite ode to Houston's famous chopped and screwed sound.
For those that long for another "All Gold Everything," the Cyhi the Prynce assisted "Material Thing$ Hard to Deal With" was just that, using almost the same beat and swapping out "Gold all in my chain" with "H--s, clothes n' that money," and Jame$ got some help on "Ro$" from beatmeister Lex Luger.
10 Pc. Mild's final track "Ea" was also its most impressive lyrically, ending in Childish Gambino delivering the killer blow with, "n---as wanna break my neck/They could, I'm a buck 50 when soaking wet/My hood got a clairport and a ocean deck/I made a hater eat words watch 'em choke to death/Back for more, f--k it I'ma rap for more/I got some white girls with me like I'm Macklemore/My back is sore from whippin' in my Jaguar/I'm like a muthaf--kin' capricorn."
But, as is the club scene, it's not for everyone. Those that appreciate hip hop for it's way with words will probably find the mixtape nothing short of repulsive, while those that simply use music as a means to give them a quick pick up or something to ride to will eat this up like Popeye with a can of spinach.
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