Many Supermen

Max B over N.W.A's Findum, F*ckum And Flee should have been a bulletproof cheat code for his first post-prison song. Alas, No More Tricks is a 1 minute throwaway where Max sounds like he's struggling to recite lines written in somebody else's handwriting. Me, I'm gonna pretend the song doesn't exist and go back to rediscovering old Max trax from the dayz of wayback. I heard Tony Yayo's Black Superman beatjack with Max & French Montana in 2009, but dismissed it since ByrdGang's Black Superman already existed. Fast forward to 2025 and I now want both like George Costigan in Rita, Sue and Bob Too. Max & French brought the waviness, while Yayo closes it out with the G-Unit henchman villaiNY. If Coke Wave ever gets a deluxe CD reissue then Do It Right needs to be the first bonus track on there.

Tony Yayo ft. Max B & French Montana - Do It Right
(From S.O.D mixtape; 2009)

5th Ward Breezie (part 2)

OnlyHeaven - Text
(From KISS (Keep It Short & Sweet) EP; 2025)


I already said everything I need to say about this song + how OnlyHeaven is the reincarnation of 5th Ward Weebie. So I'm posting her latest performance video of it because she clearly realises it's her best jam to date and that's why it's the song she performs on the hanging mic YouTube channels. There's so much bum-shaking in Rap videos nowadays, it's good to see some boob-shaking for a change. Why'd I say that? I'm sorry, baby, that was Martaveli not Marty, baby!

Related: I was watching Deal Or No Deal last night and had to do a double-take when I clocked one of the contestants. OnlyHeaven is that you???

You see me, I eat, sleep, shit and watch Rap videos

Nice & Smooth - No Delayin'
(From Nice & Smooth album; 1989/YouTube; 2011)


I do believe this was the first YouTube video for a Rap song from decades past. No Delayin' wasn't a single back in 1989, but it's one of the best songs from Nice & Smooth's debut album, so it made the ideal song to shoot a video for to promote the 2011 remastered reissue of their album. Props for gettin' Big Daddy Kane in to mouth the vocal sample, but it's a pity Greg Nice & Smooth B didn't rock their Dapper Dan outfits from the sleeve of their debut.

Other great Rap album cuts from decades past to get YouTube videos include Project Pat's Gorilla Pimp, Young Bleed & Max Minelli's Better Than The Last Time, Brotha Lynch Hung's Rest In Piss and Juvenile's 400 Degreez. The latter is the best video of the lot and is a reminder that "you see me, I eat, sleep, shit and talk Rap" is one of the most relatable opening lines ever for doz of us neck deep in the Rap connoisseur lifestyle. If you're gonna be obsessed by something, it might as well be something good.

Juvenile - 400 Degreez
(From 400 Degreez album; 1998/YouTube; 2024)


It also has me wishin' Juve would shoot a video for Ghetto Children, which is his own favourite song from 4OO Degreez. Juve is clearly a man of taste just like me because Ghetto Children is my jam from 4OO Degreez too.

There's also been YouTube videos for old Rap singles which never got blessed with videos back when they were originally released back in the 80s. The two key examples of this are Busy Bee's Suicide and the recent 40th anniversary video for LL Cool J's Rock The Bells. These other old school rappers with classic songs celebrating 40th anniversaries in 2025 stay bringing the woodpeckers while LL brings The goods.

LL Cool J - Rock The Bells
(From Radio album; 1985/YouTube: 2025)


Fingers crossed for one video of a Rap song celebrating its 40th anniversary video in 2026. If I ruled the world it'd be a Who Framed Roger Rabbit type semi-animated video for Schoolly D's Saturday Night.

Bark The 45 King

"You lookin' like you lost, need direction
I'm lookin' like a boss, need affection"

TREE & Parallel Thought - Hang Out
(From Hang Out single; 2025)


More than ever, I appreciate TREE's music for never sounding like anyone else, even when he has other producers in the boiler room. Gotta have it in ya heart, gotta know yous makin' art, when you start with this music gotta know just who you are. Give it up for MC TREE G AKA Ziggly Twiggly AKA Oak K Player AKA Roots Riley.

Fly, pelican, fly

Jim Jones, Max B & Mel Matrix - Anniversary
(From DukeDaGod's Dipset: More Than Music Vol. 2 compilation; 2007)


Nowadays Anniversary is my de facto choice for the best ByrdGang song ever. Million Dollar Baby contribution from Max B, Gym Bore Jones in peak sulky-arse tweenager mode, Mel Matrix dependable as ever as the ByrdGang henchman, and soaring production by someone called Bear One of The Control Freaks which sounds like the greatest King Geedorah era MF DOOM beat never made. Prepare for the pop-off, turn your speakers up and let this song blow your bloody top off.

A while back I said I could live without any new Max & French songs. After hearing this snippet, I've changed my mind. Now there's a song which sounds like it needs Pain In Da Ass on the intro doing a Pachanga from Carlito's Way impersonation.

Late pass!

G. Dep - Stay Up
(From The Hiatus Deponomics mixtape; 2008)


A G. Dep single I'd never heard before. That liquid introspective shit a la Reflections or the Everyday remix which sounds like a message in a bottle from the 2008 New York mixtape era in the best way possible. Plus, Dep rockin' the bald dome & moustache combination lookin' like Kase2 in Cope 2's graffiti documentary. Hat tip to the DVD Couture Instagram account for this one.

The Deuce: Baton Rouge edition

Young Bleed - Walk Like Uh Husala
(From Preserved album; 2011)


My pick for the greatest Young Bleed album track nobody ever talks about. The way Bleed ends each line in the second verse by stretching out the last two words is the audio equivalent of a Louisiana pimp dragging his leg when he walks. Styles by the fibula.

WNC Whop Bezzy & 70th Street Carlos - Gz and Souljas
(From Out The Blue album; 2025)


A WNC flip of L.O.G's G's & Soldiers came outta that Bayou like a muskrat and makes the perfect B-side to WTF I Look Like. Really doe, there's no excuse for no Trel Itz A Hit beats on this Whop & Carlos album. Youse lads act like you've never heard South Louisiana Swag before.