22 'Til Infinity

Marlowe - Past Life
(From Marlowe 3 album; 2022)


This is like the best Hieroglyphics single of 2022. A-Plus effort & execution to the rapper Solemn Brigham & the producer L’Orange for delivering All The Feels™ of a new Souls Of Mischief solo song. Solemn Brigham is, of course, the North Carolina rapper who dropped that Dirty Whip song last year. Reeeeeeewind for my favourite piano sample anthem of 2021:

Solemn Brigham - Dirty Whip
(From South Sinner Street album; 2021)



Like I said, Dirty Whip is the first Mello Music Group single which sounds like it could be a Maybach Music Group single from the era when Rick Ross kept his ear to the underground.

Dirt don't hurt

Solemn Brigham - Dirty Whip
(From South Sinner Street album; 2021)


Solemn Brigham clearly ain't a subscriber to the Lil' Fame "with my chrome 10 inch hubcaps, but I keep 'em clean tho" philosophy. Swear this song keeps following me around, but I ain't complaining since it Hits Different™. Dirty Whip's appeal? Shit's a capital A piano Anthem from the Mello Music Group which sounds like it could be from a new Maybach Music Group compilation. The first song from Mello Music Group's roster which has potential for a viral challenge or wot?

Bonus beats: ex-Maybach Music Group affiliate Stalley now dropping music on Mello Music Group makes the cipher complete. Stalley was the O.G J. Cole in terms of "he's so boring that...." jokes, but I'm a big fan of Cup Inside A Cup meself. Shit was like a millennial MF Grimm Cloud-Rap song.

Stalley - Cup Inside A Cup
(From Honest Cowboy EP; 2013)

Late pass! Dance to the Ski-Beatz

"Yeah, I stole the money that ya grandmother sent ya
She tried to get it back, I punched in her dentures"

Bizzie Boyz - Crazy Hard!
(From the vaults; 1988/Rare & Unreleased '87 - '89 EP; 2011)


Now, this is a proper banger - the I'm Bad of North Carolina. Say what, you don't believe me? Yo, Scout's honour. Makes zero sense that Crazy Hard! and Brainstorm got shelved back in 1988 because they're probably the best songs the Bizzie Boyz ever recorded. Presumably the M.C Willski-era Ski of Crazy Hard was just too ig'nant for Payroll Records in '88?

"Yeah I know ya brother, I called him a punk
Had a gun to my head and I was still talkin' junk"

For Doz Who Homaged?

"Sucker M.C with pockets so empty
Don't you know that a battle doesn't tempt me?
You talk smack but you & I know
You're on the first row at a Bizzie Boyz show"

Bizzie Boyz - For Those Who Slept
(From Droppin' It album; 1990)


Was it some sort of arch in-joke that Black Sheep recorded a song called For Doz That Slept when their first album sounds it was lowkey inspired by the Bizzie Boyz' For Those Who Slept? Probably accidental, yet weirdly coincidental.

The Bizzie Boyz era of Ski Beatz' career seems to be almost entirely forgotten nowadays despite the fact he was producing/rhyming solo on legit jams™ as far back as 1987. Maybe it's a form of punishment for For Doz Who Dabbled In Hip House?