Dear Music Lovers,
Today, we go back to ride out with Kyle Myricks, better known by his stage name Stalley.
He is an American rapper from Massilon, Ohio and also a member/artist signed on the famous music label Maybach Music Group.
Stalley made his debut on 2008 with a mixtape ‘Goin Ape’ and multiply the music project until 2010 when he signed to Rick Ross‘ Maybach Music Group at Atlantic Records. He also works with music producer as Ski Beatz, Rashad Thomas, he also collaborated with rappers : Terry Urban, Curren$y, of course Rick Ross (with other artists from MMG: Wale,Meek Mill, 2 Chainz, Gunplay), and the famous ones like Scarface, Pharrell Williams or SchoolboyQ (Kendrick Lamar affiliated).
With his mixtapes projects usually well received by the critics, Stalley prove that he deserves his place among the most valuable players of the American rap game.
When Stalley made the announcement of his last album ‘OHIO’ coming up, we understand he wants to represent the original sound of his native land: Ohio, Midwest.
After listening this LP, we can say that Stalley got this particuliar sounds. We can see that Ohio’ scene has its own sound and this is what it has been chosen: this blow is so particular, it’s a fresh new air today to breathe this into rap music industry.
The OHIO album doesn’t sound like others music album actually. Even if it is very trendy by the ambient in the music productions signed by Rashad for almost all beats, OHIO LP sounds differently.
When we press play button, we feel like incorporated on the scenes that Stalley describes well in his songs, alike being his neighbours, living same kind of life.
The musical ambient is dope as well, and this is exactly what we are waiting for when we usually get a listen to this genre of rap music. There is no surprise to see a general positive response by critics from famous medias like: ALLMUSIC, XXL, HipHopDX, and so many ones…
We really want to share now the impressive feelings we got when we have pressed ‘play’ button on ‘OHIO’, music album by Stalley.
So, here we are: we are chilling at the crib. With a good cup of coffee, about to work up on some new music reviews. And we got this album playing, surrounding the room. Wow! We gotta say few words about this impressive feelings we get from. Well, you probably think nothing really gangsta from DeLaPlaylist’s editors, but don’t mess with people who seems to chill out around with a very hot cup of coffee in hand. In fact we feel armed, confident and dangerous for society. It’s the OHIO effect. You all feel us, uh? (LOL). Well, let’s see what this rapper Stalley made by keeping us waiting on this project :
‘Welcome to O.H.I.O.’:
First of all let it all begins with a track which can be taken for an introduction of all next songs, maybe done just to explain that Stalley is a sure value on this rap music industry and also in streets : he goes by self claimed the representative of OHIO. These are some few lines from this track which let understand this:
“Over here I’m original/You can put your money on me I’m about to go digital
Just watch me turn nothing into something keep it jumpin’ y’all don’t hear me though
Music try a young nigga, like a nigga was invicible/Now I’m feeling invicible
‘Cuz over here I’m original (put your money on me) (…)”
Musically, this intro produced by Rashad is entering into a chill and highly fly mood, you don’t know if you feel like flying or riding, but it is very pleasant. And Stalley goes on the beat with enumeration of area codes of Ohio to be representative as well.
The song finishes into a screwed and chopped style to let the second song ‘Jackin’ Chevys’ to begin. We already got this coffee on tongue, we are chilling, but as well as we are ‘defo’ awaken by the cafeine, in reality it is the second effect produced by this track that keeps us up, from far. Now, officially, we know in which neighborhood we are: in Stalley’s, somewhere in Ohio, Midwest, USA.
‘Jackin’ Chevys’:
Stalley invites us to a reunion at a parking lot, full of cars. Stollen cars. Jacked cars and he is remixing as quoting as well Eazy-E‘s line from ‘Boyz In The Hood Remix’ song which original lyrics were : ‘coz the boyz in the hood are always hard/you come talkin’ that trash, we’ll pull your card.’
The Stalley version :
‘I swear the boys in my hood are always hard./Come flossing around, they’ll take you car’
and finish his first verse on this:
‘See around these parts, Chevys Jackin’ is law, and what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is ours’.
This song goes on a gangsta ride vibes by using Eazy-E’s voice sampled with famous gimmick we know well as amateur of 90’s classical gangsta rap songs. Do we have to remind that Eazy-E was a member of one of the most famous 90’s gangsta rap group? Each one of N.W.A. members would all say: ‘no need to remind us, G! They all know who we are, what we did, yo!’ (LOL) OK fellas… So, let’s continue…
The musical field is a pure high quality concentrated juice and it is still well produced by Rashad Thomas (we cannot talk about this Stalley’s OHIO album without mentioning Rashad‘s name).
The hard mood beat ambient continues to booming audio speakers, and this is the debut of OHIO LP only. But it is the beginning of ‘Problems’, the 3rd song. And here, we are not in a ‘frontin’ part no more as well we get on ‘Jackin’ Chevys’ track. Now it is serious.
‘Problems’:
Life’s reality explained by Stalley from his situation, as a native from Ohio, one of the Midwestern United States. This is how it goes on this gangsta lean, and you can do nothing else than keeping in mind these serious lines from the whole first verse. Yes you’ve got problems when you stand where some families used to stand, growing up, evoluating in this social area, on this side of America. Diving in the struggle. Just read this to dig this mood again and again:
‘I gotta get my mama out the projects/So it’s llamas in the projects
A nigga out here starving/This rap better work, I’m playing niggas in that garden
I came from that fridge with empty crates and milk cartons boy/Belly achin’, walking with a 9
Should I shoot him down or just rob a nigga blind/Only head shots, never catch him in his spine
That’s what my block taught me, it’s a kill every time/That’s just the mind of a kid trying to free his mom
Out that two bedroom with five kids/Malnourished, ribs touching, man this poverty a bitch
So we slanging dope, ducking pigs, posted with them sticks/Welcome to Ohio, where we hustle to live
So it’s factory work/Or we busting down and breaking if that ain’t gon’ work
Then we run in your crib, cig smoking like Wiz/One move, bump bump, put two in your wig
Grandma pray for our sins, hoping God forgives/But today is pay day, and all this broke ish gon’ end
I swear all this broke ish gon’ end’.
Now, we do not even take a look out this cup of coffee. Is still there any coffee in this cup or what? Is it still warm or not. For real, we cannot tell or think about this right now. We are officially incoporated into this album. And now we ride and ‘Boomin’ mind projects.
‘Boomin’:
We get the idea how a young male find the way to achieve his ambitions. Ambition of a hustler. Nothing original. But still a kind of b-side of the America, not the whole Ohio’s side but one of it. Stalley talks about this money trees, this hustle to get goods. We get focused on this line where he explains he stay selling drug at anytime of the day: ’24 hours pharmacy, like a Walgreens’, Walgreens is a store of the Wallmart chain that is usually open 24/7 as a drug dealer (the Walton family owns the Wallmart chain and had 4 of the 10 richest people in America in their family.). This track is still produced by the excellence Rashad Thomas.
‘What It Be Like’:
Now let’s see ‘what it be like’ on the fifth track of this LP, featuring Nipsey Hussle (from Los Angeles) very efficient on it. This song let an other music producer expressing his style on the album: David D.O. Doman.
The ambient is turned into a jazzy trumpet style, very peaceful going on a smooth rythm by lights drums. It’s a fly song based on fly lyrics, but we kept focus on these ones:
‘Trying to touch what I’m earning/Then I’m clutching the burner and I’ma pop mine/
I got my team on my neck it’s loyalty and respect/See I’m bout mine/
Outwork a nigga till it’s clock time/Get yours, don’t clock mine/
I’m at the jeweller, all gold, clock bomb/But the prettiest watch can’t even stop time.’
Now we are stepping up or getting down a little bit more, whatever… In any case, surely we are going to another level with ‘One More Shot’ featuring August Alsina and Rick Ross. This is the super high level of a Stalley recognized, less dark, less hood, more exposed to worldliness and clubbing. It is never mainstream with Stalley, never easy but it is the most commercial track of this album. And commercial here is still good.
‘One More Shot’:
It’s obviously the MMG’s song to get commercial entry for Stalley to share this track with the rapper Ricky Rozay aka Rick Ross self claimed The Boss, and with the emerging new young R’n’B talent, August Alsina who has already show and prove everything of his potential in the urban music industry: already aside Trey Songz, Chris Brown with this touch of ghetto style, more underground.
There is nothing particular to quote about this song and lyrics, this is just one more title mentioning these states of intoxication, ending up in worldliness accompanied by pretty women, to provide a VIP table filled with alcohol, and it also mentions the fact to get laid with marijuana. Nothing original but the impasse would be a mistake. As on OG. So as to represent all aspects of this social class of citizens native from Ohio, this song plays its part. And it is pretty cool.
August Alsina easily leads the song with his vocals on chorus and bridge parts to the music signed by NOEL, a music producer we will likely not know but we would like to hear more for sure: his beat is neat and very current in a really lazy ambience and exhilarating.
Well, we sip this cup of coffee and get a listen to this album of rap music which has its own personality as STALLEY got it among all these famous rappers.
His flow of words is among the best current flow. His rhymes are poignant and stylish, and they reach their goals, shot the targets. The content and form met on this album elegantly brought to his public the perfect addiction to listen to it. It sticks to you as to the skin like a tattoo, it sticks to the Basque such an electronic bracelet on a detainee. You can not stay too far from this album, or someone would be like commiting an offense in terms of good music choice. You must respond “here” about this album, you cannot miss it. OHIO is an indispensable album dropped late 2014 and will continue until the end of 2015 and over it, proudly alongside the classics of lining choices offered to us, as Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, Jay-Z and Drake ‘s ones.
We are not THE SOURCE MAGAZINE to rate as they do with microphones as points, and giving evaluation, but certainly DeLaPlaylist attributes the rating of ‘4 out of 5′, and those symbolic icons which would be used will be the 33 rpm vinyl discs. Also 4 out of 5. And if it were dollar bills, OHIO got 5 on it.
Stalley represents very well the style of OHIO, of the Midwest.
For all Music Loverss who likes to see details of lyrics, you will find all songs of OHIO album on the great website GENIUS: just click here.
So, please, if you appreciate this music review, and this artist, please share the article on your social network pages. Thank you.
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