Young Pups Part 2 : 1-800-Lil-Mac-Needs-A Car

Next Pup Up: No Limit Soldier and 504 Boy Mac. Prior to his No Limit records Shell-Shocked and World War III, Mac was aligned with the other NOLA rap dynasty (Ca$h Money), or at least its founding father, Mr. Mannie Fresh, who you can check below bobbing his head on the Lil Mac bus (priceless). Mac may be the true Michael Lee here, now serving 30 years for manslaughter (in the video below you'll notice some Donut aspirations too). Like Mike, he's confident as hell, a "young barbarian on the move", usually eschewing the ABC's bullshit of other novelty child-rap as best a midget can, though not quite as raw as young thugs Lil Wayne & the B.G.Z whose talent Fresh went on to cultivate.

Compare Mac's MCing on the title track with Local 580's relentless Local 580, which cops the same Fresh instrumental (or at least the same break).
Of course, I'm more than eager to hear
something from the Mac's body of work
between this and his No Limit soldier
years like this duo cassette with Storm.
Don't hold back if you're holding.

Young Pups Part 1: The Puppies

Watching the Wire's fourth season, I couldn't help but be reminded of these other 2 "Pups" (maybe it was the school theme, or maybe just that Dukies name is Dukie). One of the best child groups since Joe Jackson put a gun to in the face of a young Michael, and by far the most solid preteen bass rap I've stumbled upon. The Puppies had 2 minor hits: 1994's "Funky Y2C" and in 1996 "Hokey Pokey", the former breaking into the Billboard top 40 by a hair, and the latter, well, not. Their most memorable performance, though, was their no-bullshit back-up vocs on Disco Rick & the Dogs' bassploitation classic "Yo Mamas On Crackrock", offering inspired interjections like "yours too", "so what" or just plain "shiiiiiiit".

Big Boy kills it on some new shit too, making claims on a forthcoming record, "Happy Music", I'd be happy as hell to see make its way to actually existing. Fingers crossed.

Check it: Dukie Green from Recognize.

Minds on the Prize

Trap Boiz Mind on the Prize & Never Again Family Death Before Dishonor: 2 top notch clearance bin full-lengths from 21st Century Atlanta connected by their style (low-budget Gangsta), their proximity to dance-craze rap (D4L & Trap Squad foreshadowing, respectively) and dubious font choices (I’m trying to imagine the guys at Pen & Pixel contemplating the use of Comic Sans for P’s Ice Cream Man). Try an imagine a better spent 99 cent.

Bossman and Hotrod of the Trap Boiz take the more artful approach - ergonomic beatmaking, calculated vocal delivery. Production credits go to the man Big Cheezy, who I'd like to hear more from but has slipped thru the cracks without the slightest internet data trail. Never Again is more like Strength in Numbers, but I'm not holding that against them. Besides, they have name you can't fuck with (despite their explanation:"I Chose The Name Because We Are Never Again Records And We Are a Family So It Was That Simple!"). Members: Young Shone, Gold Mouth, Thuggio, JG, Collar & Dolley.

Trap Boiz - Click of G's
Never Again Family - Everything on Me


As a bonus - a slice of Tight 2 Def era Fabo.
Fabo - Hell That Pulled the Trigger