Shaun Mecca - No Sleep Till December (CD REVIEW)

Knockin On Mainstream's Door

            Shaun Mecca could have called his latest offering From The Streets To The Radio. The 48 minute masterpiece plays like a perfectly strategized assault on mainstream Hip-Hop. Which is not a bad thing for this reviewer, considering the current state of mainstream Hip-Hop. You can quickly summize Shaun Mecca is no longer satisfied with being just another rapper in the Valley as he puts on his big boy pants with No Sleep Till December. Mecca Man pours out his signature “from the hood shit” throughout the album’s 14-tracks but what separates him from his peers is his diversification and ability to touch on topics that the normal rapper does not. While most rappers try to paint portraits of Tony Montana-esque hustling and make listeners believe that they out ball Bill Gates, the reality of the situation is Shaun doesn’t have to resort to absurdities to entertain or enthrall the listener. All Mecca Man has to do is rely on his genuine content and his highly addictive hooks. And while there’s a handful of vintage Mecca on here, No Sleep Till December also veers into previously uncharted territory for the 25-year-old, who goes to great lengths to prove he’s the anointed one down in the Rio Grande Valley. 

           Let’s take the radio smash “You Know Me” for example, the album’s most commercial moment. Here, Shaun enlists the help of teen sensation Adrian Q, but you quickly learn as soon as you hear Mecca on the chorus that nobody outshines the star of the show. Mecca takes control and delivers what might be the best commercially viable song from a Valley Hip-Hop artist I’ve ever heard. Shaun’s true and tried formula of street verses over pop beats can be found throughout the project but don’t get it twisted, each track has no problem standing on its own two feet. Take the electronically soulful “Shooting Stars” where Shaun, Kid Rokket & Edinburg, TX native Sarah deliver a winner about the yearning for a success story and the almost futile attempt of it all. Or the track “Youth” where Shaun Mecca samples group Foxes’ hit song Youth and shows off his production skills as well as his up tempo delivery. On the good vibing “Positive” we hear Shaun Mecca reflecting on life and relaying the message that working hard and enduring the everyday grind can get you to where you want to be. While the message might be a bit cliché’ Mecca finds a way to succeed without having to sound corny. Then there’s the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow last song of the CD “I Done Came Down” where Mecca gets nastier and more sexual with it. 

           Switching gears and content appears to be no problem for Mecca as he transitions smoothly from tracks like “Shake It” the ambitious club song with Adrian Q on the hook to tracks like “Money Over Everything” which now that I think of it seems to be the Valley’s battle cry as of late, with more and more adopting the concept throughout the V. With this track here Jay Carrera comes on the scene on the first verse with a substantially lazy drawl which helps build on the anticipation the listener feels as they await the arrival of the songs star. On “King Shit” Mecca comes armed with more rumbling, triumphant backdrops and real talk. The chorus blends autotune with screwed music and works like a charm too. Be sure to check out Kid Rokket’s Kendrick Lamar style delivery on the second verse. “Let’s Go” finds the Donna native in Trap music territory but you won’t find any Atlanta ass kissing music here. Mecca Man lets you know he’s from the Lone Star State real quick as he spits out “check out how I do it, UGK influenced.” No Sleep seems to be workin so well that even Mecca’s little brother Alec Jay drops a fuckin bomb with a track called “Coolin.” A smoker’s delight with a catchy chorus, that’s obviously Drake inspired, but does the Toronto rapper justice.
            

           After driving from Roma to McAllen and listening to all of No Sleep Till December this past weekend I can’t help but think that this mixtape may have been as much of a call to arms for Mecca himself as it was to his listeners. He wanted to make sure that after listening to his new CD people knew that he is a force in the local rap game and more importantly that he is a real contender in the national rap game. Songs like “So High” & “Grindin” would have no problem being on the Billboard charts right now and competing at the top level. And the fact that those 2 songs aren’t the 2 best songs on the CD should tell you just how dope Shaun Mecca’s No Sleep Till December really is…


Reviewed By: Coke Barrera (Trill Starr Mafia)

RATING:\/ \/ \/ \/ \/

RATING SYSTEM: 

\/ = Not too Impressive

\/ \/ = Aight

\/ \/ \/ = Solid

\/ \/ \/ \/ = Dope

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ = Classic

5 Star Money Gang - One Hundred (CD Review)

The Mercedes Cocaine Cowboys… 

Strike Again!

            It’s no secret that the Rio Grande Valley is becoming a hub for Rap music. Every other day, I find myself hearing about new and promising talent from different corners of The V.  There’s seems to be so much new Rap music coming out of the 956 that sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Well, unless you’re the RGV’s 5 Star Money Gang.

            With so much drama in the R-G-V, you rarely see the entire Valley Hip-Hop scene artists and fans finding themselves in sync with one another as to what’s “Hot.”  Everyone is usually too busy into their own music to really pay attention to anyone else’s and no one really seems to give a listen to other artist’s music anyway. As if it’s a big taboo to like the music of your competition. With such childish notions and crab in a barrel mentality it’s no wonder why the RGV has yet to be placed in the Rap spotlight and shown off to the masses. But hey, relax and take a deep breath because all hope is not lost.

 Enter, 5 Star Money Gang.

            On Friday June 28^th, the announcement went viral and hit the social networks and the outfits own website www.im2rio.com. The announcement was that the long awaited and highly anticipated compilation ONE HUNDRED had finally arrived. And guess what boys and girls, in rare display of Valley Rap unification the whole internet was going nuts. (Yes, I just quoted a classic Paul Wall cliché line.)The buzz was on and the Valley Rap fans and Valley Rap artists were all paying close attention. Haters were hoping that the boys would fall on their faces with nothing but wackness while the fans were all hoping that the wait was well worth it.

            So let’s cut the suspense and answer the question on everyone’s mind… how is it?

Well.... ONE HUNDRED is composed of dope boy anthems that bang hard through the speakers and is bound to keep the 5 Star Money Gang as a known commodity in the rap game for some time to come. No Lie, even Haters won’t be able to deny it. It’s difficult not to nod your head to Curly Stone's songs that combine his trademark laugh and catchy slow delivery. My personal favorite off the mixtape "Cocaine Flow," finds Cheech and Stone exchanging verses about the addiction to fast money and the dope boy hustle over a melodic East Coast beat that just keeps you locked in from the start. Strife’s “In The Game” is a banger that finds the emcee going off bout the blood and sweat he put into the streets and the lessons learned along the way. Strife commands that he “wants the same devotion back” from the fans and presents a hell of a case as to why he deserves the love. "Screwed Up," enlightens the listener on the prolific lifestyle that comes with being in the streets and in entertainment which features a memorable verse from the multitasking G Moolah.
            Now despite having brought the stories of the streets to the music before, the Mercedes based group is rooted in making the listener follow a neverending epic that plays out like a Blow meets New Jack City type of adventure through the streets of the 956. The no holds barred stories throughout the mixtape paint the picture of a Rio Grande Valley that seems to be a hustler’s paradise and a dope boy’s playground. "My Last Swisha," tones down the brash technicalities that exhibit themselves DNA of ONE HUNDRED, gliding by as a banger on smoke, alcohol and sex; whereas "Dope Boy," which features Pistol and Stone, is harsh in its tone and detailed authenticity pacing itself as a reflection on wanting to move forward yet being engulfed in a web of immobility by the ways of the streets. "Get My Money Bitch," is styled towards finding the right type of breezy through a series of verses provided by Johnny Dinero & Curly Stone. Some women might find this one a bit misogynistic but it’s always good to remember that if you get their money then everything will be A OK.

            ONE HUNDRED’s main objective is to serve up the formula that first put the 5 Star Money Gang on the Valley’s Rap Radar. And they seem to do just fine as they elicit interest while creating a frenzied manifesto about moving weight, getting money and smoking weed. The group has no trouble dropping boastful raps that show snapshots of what a day in the life of a hustler looks like. "50-100," is brewed in a cocaine trafficking chorus "I’m Just trying to see my money grow, just like my kids/ Push em by the 50 bundles, just tryna live/ Turn that 50 to 100 and do it big/ And I take these trips like twice a week, thats on my kids/” with a suspensful vibe that finds Strife, Pistol and Johnny Dinero paiting pictures about doubling up in the RIO. The shameless "Miss America," is intent on firing a hardcore bullet about the crude ups and downs of what it takes to be a hustler down by the border. “Owna” doesn’t really cover new territory in the gangland tales delivered by the 5 Star Boys but still satisfies with a Strife anchored chorus. “Trafficant” gives us a nice switch in the tempo with a trap beat that is more mellow and melodic, that Stone has no problem owning. Speaking of beats The Trackstars the long time 5 Star associates drop a dope one on “Rolling Wit Me” that finds Pistol struttin his stuff and tellin ya what time it is. The chorus might not be the greatest but Pistol still makes up for it with a respectable verse and a feature from 5 star heavyweight Curly Stone. The mixtape plays out like a well orchestrated and organized project that’s fuelled by cautionary tales that are presented from a firsthand perspective. The autobiography formula pays off throughout the CD for the 5 Star familia and just when you think things might be winding down you still find gems like “How I Get It” and “Rest In Peace.”
            A half a year in the making, ONE HUNDRED was initially delayed; yet despite the setbacks it might have encountered it does not take away from the final product. While the mixtape might have one or two less than amazing tracks, overall the return of the Mercedes Cocaine Cowboys is much welcomed with their latest release. And thanks to the hood mindset of the individuals who draw experiences from their upbringing, their region and their experiences we find ourselves entertained for the entire 70 minutes of the CD.

Reviewed By: Coke Barrera (Trill Starr Mafia)

RATING: \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

RATING SYSTEM: 

\/ = Not too Impressive

\/ \/ = Aight

\/ \/ \/ = Solid

\/ \/ \/ \/ = Dope

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ = Classic