I caught a plane out to Akron late last evening

"On my knees I ask God when I'm gon' die
You can look all you want but ain't no God in the sky
I try to run from my pain by buyin' jewellery
Fuck it, when I die let my enemies do my eulogy"

Ampichino - The Eulogy
(From The Eulogy: Death To My Enemies album; 2015)


If you've been paying attention, you'll already know The Eulogy has been my shit since it first leaked back in very late 2013. Video dropped yesterday alongside the long-awaited album and it captures the song's essence perfectly with Ampichino standing around in a dingy basement leering at the camera in a pair of gold fronts which look like they were copped from Rakim's mate Dave's website. Hope he told Dave that Rakim sent him so he got "the official joints" and not the rhodium knock-offs that'll leave him with gingivitis.

For someone who excels at personal rapping, it's a pity all Ampichino's albums read like a current Who's Who of the Oakland to Midwest melancholy mob music circuit, as demonstrated by this latest full length featuring just two solo tracks out of 20: The Eulogy here and the semi-Master P homage Uugghh. It's ironic that A-Wax should be the only mob music stalwart to not guest on the album because if there's one rapper who needs to take a metaphorical walk with 'Wax and drop a full length project with no features in the vein of Pullin' Strings, it's Ampichino.

Until then, Ampichino is a riddle wrapped within the conundrum of a rapper with a Me Against The World mindset who makes albums of Me And My N*ggas music.