Peach Panther and why Riff Raff is a Good Thing.

Peach Panther

                       For a man of many names: (Peach Panther AKA, Neon Python, Jody Highroller, Mr. Lamborghini Leglock, Aquaberry Backfist, Neon Knuckles, Butterscotch Boss, Rap Game Shirley Temple.) a lot of people only seem to know one.

Riff Raff, in many eyes is the quintessential stupid trap rapper and if you'd look at him you think you'd be right. Sporting numerous tattoos of logos and pop culture references, he looks like a walking billboard of fuckboyism and if you watched anything about him you could say how his larger than life character would come off as a distorted picture of black culture and just another white rapper using every trope possible to break into the game. 

His history is a long and varied one and there is a great in-depth article that you can read here that talks about his past of grinding. But while the destiny of his career remains to be seen ,what i'd like to focus on now is his current release. If Neon Icon is considered to be an immature imitation of popular rap culture, then consider Peach Panther as the more mature brother. Where as Neon Icon was a mish-mash collage of different references this new released feels more calculated, like it was made with a specific intent all the while still retaining the essential playfulness of Riff-Raff's character.

Without further delay let's get right into it.

Front

Back

Peach Panther

Artist: RiFF-RAFF @JODYHIGHROLLER

Release Date: June 24, 2016

Runtime: 36 min (12 tracks)

Label: Neon Nation Corporation, BMG Rights Management

 First of all, i'd like to say that the overall look and design for this album is fantastic. I personally think peach is an underrated color and that peach Marc Jacobs jacket still looks fly even though he's been wearing it for every promo he does. From the looks, this comes off as a more sophisticated attempt for his sophomore debut. The marketing for the album has been top notch, as Riff Raff is one of the best at keeping his name in the mouths of people everywhere with his erratic details of his projects. and some gems have been coming up including this inspired commercial where Riff-Raff takes the place of a QVC host or my personal favorite, the Hot Ones interview. Riff-Raff is a master at keeping viewers guessing and in the Hot Ones interview, he comes across more relateable, more down-to-earth, and smarter than he normally was and that's with a mouth of burning chicken wings.

Track 1: Peach Panther (Freestyle)

Length: 2:43

Producer: League of Starz

The album starts off with a quote

"Hello American citizens

Be very cautious in these trying times

Notice how men are deserting other men

Not only hurting other women

I suggest you take safe precautions

And stay away from man at all cost

My myself personally i'm going into protection mode

Should any mans try to touch myself I would hate to have to use brute physical force to remove you from my presence

Good day America, good day indeed" - Unknown

     I have no idea what purpose the intro speech is trying to convey but hey it sounds cool to put in the beginning of an album, it kinda still gives it the feel of a mixtape, which is what I think he was trying to go for. Even though it is his second official album he still wants it to have a street edge element to it.

     The first beat resembles a horn beat you would likely find in the south and it's a nice background for the freestyle Riff Raff delivers. In typical non-sequiter style, this man mentions everything from Kadi Mills Mall to Bruce Jenner. His rhymes while abstract, flow with their own type of style and his bravado shines through in the confidence of his delivery. If anyone knows Riff-Raff or has followed him over the years they would know that the character of Riff-Raff and the mind of it's creator are now one. I like to think of this freestyle as an intro to the new, more targeted style of rapping that Riff-Raff delivers, he wants to make hits but also still wants to retain his uniqueness. I think this freestyle is a good balance of both and an indication that Jody has been indeed working on his rap skills.

Quoteables: "Hook like Joe Frazier, House on Green Acres. I can make a shavers aqua velvet street skater."

"Kadi Mills Mall, watch that boy ball, spend 80 grand just to take a nap at the Taj Mahal"

Track 2: Carlos Slim

"¡It's a celebration, quinceanera!"

 =   

Senor Slim 

Length: 3:04

Producer: 808 Mafia

     As far as I know this is the only single released by Riff-Raff for "Peach Panther", and while that is not orthodox for a release these days, I say the video and the actual song make up for it. What we see here is a more focused Riff. From the hook, to the beat even to the title, they all form together to fit a cohesive backdrop for the spontaneous rap that come out of no where. Although it is still swag rap, it comes off as more thought out and unique due to the use of Riff's different use of vocabulary.

     The hook is the main point here, when Riff said that he has hooks like Joe Frazier he wasn't lying. Diamonds jumping out the gym, I might move to Mexico, Carlos Slim. For those of you who don't know Carlos Slim from 2010-2013 was considered to be the richest man in the WORLD. So it make's sense that if Riff-Raff is comparing himself to Slim he would have diamonds shining everywhere, whether it's jumping out the gym or in South France. 

     What I really like about this song is the continuity of the subject matter. Everything that Riff-Raff mentions all has something to do with each other. For example, Mexico = Carlos Slim is Mexican = Mexican's traditionally celebrate quinceanera's. That logic might sound stupid when you look at it like that, but it show's a lot of maturity for any artist to just stay on topic. Even right now, as I write about this album there are so many things I want to talk about but I have to force myself to stay on topic and Riff does that subtlety here. Besides the hook, Riff also makes some nice references and some great all around lines. Including my favorite:

"Fish scale, shark tale. I used to test coke for the cartel"

and others like

"Whoa, kemosabe, Versace is my hobby, I done shot more jumpers than that Bill Cosby."

The second verse he stays on topic again except this time instead of being in Mexico he's now in Europe. "Forgiotos creep, I can't be held back, no leash, capisce?"

&

Apparently in Riff-Raff land

Peach Beach = East Greece

     But i'm not going to hold it against him because they are both places I would love to visit. Overall a great single track to promote the album because it has a great hook, solid lines, no feature, and most importantly no curse words so it can get good solid radio play in it's imagined form.

Track 3: Only in America

Length: 3:17
Producer: Top Secret Productions

"Main thing about me is I don't do shit for free"

     I'm not gonna lie, the MLK quote at the beginning threw me off. First of all, I feel that anyone who uses the speeches Dr. King made for their own personal gain and not for the purpose they were intended for is distasteful. That being said, this is art and none of that shit applies in art. And it's not like i'm talking about high social constructs in this article. This is a fucking article about Riff Raff and of course Riff Raff would be the only white rapper with the balls to use MLK on his album. But what a lot of people don't know, is that even though he came from the Houston suburbs he's been grinding in the rap game for years in Houston, not saying that that gives him permission to use MLK but i'm saying that this might rub a lot of people the wrong way without knowing some of his history.

     That being said, after the sample the song starts with a hook where to be honest, I have no idea what the fuck Riff-Raff is saying. I think it has something to do with Duck Sauce and how Americans eat duck sauce? Is that true? Can I get a confirmation on that because I love duck sauce. I don't want to commit a social faux-paux where I go to another country and order Duck Sauce but no one eats it, that would be rude. It doesn't matter what the hook says though, because on this song Riff puts forth some of the strongest bars of his career and it's a damn shame that this is the only song Rap Genius doesn't have any lyrics for so I'm going to post it and Rap Genius can copy and paste this later.

After Duck Sauce Hook

First Verse:
Main thing about me is I don't do shit for free
Regardless what you seen, still gallons of codine
Regardless of what you say i'm still Thunderstorm Gray
Regardless what they said i'm still Cranberry Red

Only in America

Moving slower than molasses
They thought they needed glasses when I copped that Codine Castle
It's the white Don King, mid J pinky ring
When I was 17 copped the Chrysler Sebring
Never had an older brother, always had to guard me
Versace sheets when I sleep next to AR-15's

Duck Sauce Hook x 2

Second Verse:
Where the world is not safe, everybody wants a Wraith
Does he want to take my place, or does she want whats in my safe
Take me out to eat, buy Versace for my feet,
Drive me home in a Lambo then fuck me for free

If I have kids they goin straight home school
Codine water fountain sippin lean by the pool
Children growing up to be professional snapchatters
Even substitute teachers these days is battle rappers

Duck Sauce x 2

Only in America

     What's so funny about this song is that while limited, Riff offers us his view on some situations happening in America. There are a few couplets of truth in there including the Wraith line and the professional Snapchatters line. He also lets us in on some of his history including the Chrysler Sebring (which is actually true) and the White Don King. Since he signed the 4 million deal for Neon Nation he has in a sense become a promoter for his business just like Don King was a promoter for his fighters. This is a WAY different Riff-Raff than we have seen on Neon Icon, more composed rhymes and hooks and even the idea of doing social commentary on the nation is all improvement artistically for Riff-Raff. If still you think this man is stupid, the jokes on you.

Track 4: 4 Million

Length: 3:04
Producer: Top Secret Productions

"I vanish into the night like Harry Houdini, on a Versace jet ski."

     Coming in at track 4 is the track 4 (million). This song is referring to the 4 million dollar deal Riff-Raff made to set up his own media company agency "Neon Nation." And this song is your typical swagger rap with some buffed bars for the occasion.

     I really like the hooks on this album man, and this one is no different. What makes a rap hook great to me is the simplicity of it, this is as simple as you can get in a hook but my God, it just works for some reason. I like the 808 based beat, i'm sure this shit bangs in the club where it will be played. Most notable thing about this song is that Riff-Raff uses a subtle autotune for his second verse and his bars are actually a lot more intricate than at first glance.

     The first verse talks about his new estate, the Codine Castle, it comes equipped with grape drapes apparently. Adding on to the fruit metaphors he says he can lemon lime, which is a Caribbean way to say party and it not that well known phrase outside of the islands following that with the tangerine sun shine of his diamonds again shows the more focused intent of line writing. The Richie Riff line is clever too because it provides closure to the verse which opened with a fancy estate, somewhere where Richie Rich would've lived.

"Leanin on Leather"

     The second verse is even better. Mentioning everybody from Eleanor Roosevelt to Tony Delk, to Ben Braun. Riff manages to weave all these references into some sort of coherent sense. Ben Braun was the former head coach of Rice university which is in Houston, Texas. Eleanor Roosevelt was known as an independent lady who didn't usually ask for help. Mark Price is wet AF and I really love how it ties into the dice line and the diamond heist line. Also who doesn't love Houdini but this time he's on a jet ski. This type of imagery is a thing that is sorely missing in hip-hop. Where a lot of rappers would compare themselves to icons of the game like Kobe or Jordan, this man chooses Tony Delk and Mark Price, almost saying that hey those guys are great, but there are some other people who were great too and they need recognition too, sort of like Riff-Raff himself. These bars add a sort of unique playfulness to the song that makes you want to keep listening and further shows how improved Riff-Raff's writing is.

Track 5: Chris Paul

Copyright NBA 

Length: 3:20
Producer: Top Secret Productions

"I can hit the mall and ball like Chris Paul"

     If I was a Clippers fan this would be the song for me. It is so unorthodox for the Clippers to be mentioned in the rap medium, but it feels so right. In a city where the Lakers are L.A's golden child, the Clippers are sort of looked at as an afterthought even though they are still great. I think this is why Riff-Raff choose the title to be Chris Paul. Maybe he feels underappreciated in the rap industry even though he has been working his ass off since he was 17, he still feels like he is not as respected in the game. It could also be that Chris Paul rhymes with mall so it was destined to be a hook anyway, but the world may never truly know.

List of athletes mentioned in this song: (RiFF RAFF's starting 5)

Chris Paul
Matt Barnes
Blake Griffin
Wilt Chamberlain
Deandre Jordan

     The first verse is a clever one which describes his business ventures as basketball moves. Whether he's finger rolling, banking it off the glass or dropping a floater, his moves are calculated just like the very best professional athletes. The second verse has more of the same except with more swag, either way both solid verses for the song. This song is one of my favorites on the album and i would totally play it at a party for all my Laker friends out there.

Track 6: Syrup Sippin' Assassin

Length: 2:45

Producer: DJA

"I sip syrup
Keep ballin'
I sip so much codeine i'm about to fall asleep"

repeat ad infinitum



Think of this track as an interlude. There are no verses just a hook that repeats forever, I think this is a great setup for the features that are about to come. The first half of the album showed us that Riff-Raff can actually rap, even if it's not the usual boasts and brags we're accustomed to hearing from the industry now a day. He did the whole first half with no features I feel to prove something to the listeners out there and now we get rewarded with some wonderful verses not only by the guests but also by Mr. Aquaberry Backfist as well. Also I think Riff-Raff is addicted to Codine.

(Break before entering Featureland)

Track 7: All I Ever Wanted (feat. Dolla Bill Gates)

Length: 3:18
Producer: Nativeminds/Top Secret Productions? (multiple sources say different things)

"You know my policy, no apologies!"

     To be honest, I think the album should've started with this song. This song speaks to me personally and I think it will speak to a lot of other people too. As far as i'm concerned all people want to do is live their life the way they want to live and as long as they aren't hurting anybody then that's cool. If Riff-Raff wants to spend it drinking codine at his mansion then that's his decision and you can't tell him shit. Hook is on point and catchy as usual and the feature from Dolla Bill Gates is surprisingly good and focused and has a great line about Apollo Creed, the often hated villain in the Rocky series. 

Since Rap Genius and lyric sites don't do their job i'm going to do mine and post some lyrics once again:

Hook

First Verse:

I ball so hard cause i'm made to do
40 cal on my waist Gucci shoelace on my shoe
Packin the pounds I can white or brown?
Puttin it down, from your side of town

Or maybe in the sticks, still ballin in the mix
Drop Maserati, I can't drive a stick shift
I can Stacy Altman or maybe Scott Scott
I was stuck in denial until my money was in a pile.

Hook

Second Verse (Dolla Bill Gates):

Whoopin shit, Iced out my right cause that's my whoopin wrist
I whipped the drop top to show em' sympathy
You know my policy, no apologies
I whipped the right like Apollo Creed

American CREED in the USA
Everybody want the fame, I need a thousand M-dogs in the paint
God damn, that's a billion dollars
I had the floaters on the Lexus GS Three hundeed
I been had a problem

I'm sorry

My house is 3 stories
My girlfriends are gorgeous

Track 8: I Drive By (feat. GUCCI MANE & Danny Brown)

Length: 3:36
Producer: Sharptastic made the hit!!!

"If you think i ain't too famous, watch me cut you off like traffic."

     First of all, I am absolutely delighted that Gucci Mane is out of prison and i'm doubly excited that he's doing the hook on this track! With Danny Brown rounding out the verses this is one of the best tracks on the album all around, from hook to verses to the beat, everything works and fits together so cohesively. I kinda want a Riff and Gucci collab album, but a man can dream. Riff;s verse comes out with energy and drive (no pun intended) with the longest verse we've seen from him so far and it is a solid introduction for the main climax of the song, the Danny Brown feature. First of all, I have no idea how Riff Raff got Danny Brown but i'm so happy he did. Danny Brown is one of the great rappers alive and if you haven't listened to XXX yet you are severely playing yourself. His verse here is great and he utilizes the rhyme scheme as his toy. Overall a great club banger or something to bump in your car while you cruise around.

Track 9: Mercedez (feat. G-Eazy & J. Doe)

Length: 2:27
Producer: Metro Boomin' Want Some More

"K.T Stunner! I was born to drive the 4 Runner!"

"High school used to play sports
Then I got fat and lazy
luckily my pockets did too!"

     The hook ONCE AGAIN is so on point. That is really Riff-Raff's strong point, no matter what you think about him he can make a hook about paint drying and it would still be catchy. The first line of this song is what got me into this project. Riff-Raff says it with such conviction that it really changed how I originally looked at him. It seems like with every song Riff-Raff's verses get more intense as if he's chasing this dream of eternal wealth and fame. This is a man on a mission to make it and you can hear it with every bar. G Eazy's verse really does nothing for me.. (but I guess you gotta appeal to that niche somewhere..)

Track 10: Don't Like to Think (feat. Problem)

Length: 3:17
Producer: Metro Boomin' Want Some More

"I chase money like bank robber
I didn't mean to not call her
I couldn't find my phone charger"

     Don't think just drink. Problem gives street cred to Riff Raff which includes calling him a pink haired cracker (lmao) and giving him a plug for some coke which involves him doing a long line like hoes at the club. Surprisingly sophisticated bars but still keeping the hood edge from Problem. I'm not gonna analyze this song because it basically speaks for itself. *takes a shot*

Track 11: Shout Out To The Bay (feat. King Chip (Chip The Rip))

Length: 2:29

Producer: DJ Spinz

"From Oakland to SacTown like Pac say"

     The Bay Area is an area of hip-hop that I like to compare to an untapped gold mine. It has always produced talent and artists of great magnitude yet is still misrepresented and underrated. I refuse to have this scene unappreciated. This song if you haven't figured it out yet, is Riff's tribute to the Bay. A lot of people don't know that Riff lived in Hollywood briefly and was influenced by the Bay Area culture, if you look at it a lot of it is similar to the culture of Houston. Candy paint, flexing out, balling, hoes, rap music, jewelery. Don't think i'm stereotyping the Bay Area or Houston but i'm just comparing the similarities of each area. The beat is very reminiscent of a Bay Area/ West Coast hip-hop beat. I always like to think of West Coast hip-hop as bouncy ESPECIALLY the Bay Area, thanks to the scraper and low-rider culture this type of sound just took off and the beat Riff-Raff uses is basically paying homage to the sound culture there. 

     Why he got a rapper from Cleveland and not a rapper actually from the Bay Area is an odd choice but King Chip is such a quality rapper where he can literally rap over anything and sound authentic. King Chip does the thing he usually does, rapping about hoes and shit, throw in a Louie reference and you have a verse. The flow really makes it sound good tho. The real star of the song is not only the hook but Riff-Raff's verse. This is the first time on the album where he went second and you could tell he was waiting to spit this. Even from the first few lines Riff-Raff presents a more focused style of writing than he usually did before on previous projects.

"Hold up folks
Shark-skin coat
Pull up working oak
In the yacht-style boat."

    Who the fuck told Riff-Raff to rap like this, and whoever did I'm very thankful. It's like a poet got drunk, drank a shit load of codine and is just speaking his mind. The messed up part is that I can actually see him pulling up working oak in the yacht style boat. The descriptive imagery is a breath of fresh air in the world of rap where images are retained to hoes and drugs. Even though Riff-Raff still raps about hoes and drugs he presents in a way where it is whimsical and sounds like a blast. It's like playing TF2 from the soldiers view and then playing TF2 from the Pyro's view. Same game but completely different point of view. The whimsical imagery combined with the increased intelligent rhymes and the confident delivery get me every time.

If I said that Riff wrote this line:

"All this ice on my chest, figured I was a figure skater
Figuratively speaking mentally on vacation virtual verbatim
I beg your pardon swing to Olive Garden
Now i'm with your daughter in the Karma Aston Martin"

You wouldn't believe me until you listened to him say it. This is the artistic development that I love.

Track 12: Betcha' Didn't Know (feat. Lil Durk)

Length: 3:09

Producer: Top Secret Productions

"Betcha didn't know that I was ballin like this
Betcha didn't know that I had rocks on my wrist."

"They doubted me, then I told them to rap with me"


Finally we have come to the end of the album. This is indeed the last track of the album and I feel that Riff-Raff has the last laugh here. The title "Betcha Didn't Know"refers the the wealth Riff has gained in his career but I feel that it can also be an underhanded slap to the haters that doubted him. "Betcha didn't know I could rap like this" "Betcha didn't know I was ballin like this" This is Riff-Raff saying that he is immune to the haters and that he is here to stay. His verse here is classic left field, a non-sequeter type of reference style but still infused with the Houston trap flow that has become so much apart of his style. Lil Durk a veteran of the Chiraq Drill Scene and a respected hit maker in his own right drops a verse here that ends the album in swagger. The hook follows until an unexpected cutoff ends the album suddenly.









Conclusion

     In the world of hip-hop, I was always taught that originality is the prime objective. The individual expression of one's self through words is the most basic human right you have. Every MC has a duty to be true to themselves; but what do we have now a days? In a genre where biting of styles is almost a cardinal sin, you got cats making records that sound just like artists that have been doing it for years. I'm not naming no names but anyone with a brain can guess who i'm talking about. Why in a genre where self-expression is the "one true goal" can't an artist do what they want to do. This is why I love Riff-Raff, the complex insanity that is the character of Riff-Raff and the enigmatic ideologies of the person underneath is exactly like that sentence, all left up to the viewer, for only the person underneath truly knows. 

     What we do know though is that we haven't seen a personality as braggadocios like this in a long time. A person who stands up and says "Hey this is what i'm going and how i'm doing it and if you don't like it fuck you." And the best part is, is that it's actually kinda good! If you've made it down here and read the interview article from all the way up at the top, then you would know how dedicated to success Riff-Raff is. This is not an idiot we are dealing with, this is an educated man who knows how to manipulate the media and the perception of his character to obvious success. What i'm saying is that the album "Peach Panther" is a much more mature approach to a popular subject matter that shines bright in an industry full of the same old releases and singles. Such as peach is a unique color so is the sound of this release. It might not be the most composed album, it does have errors and flukes but overall it is a very unique effort from an artist that people don't expect much out of. Even if you don't like it it deserves to be respected as a product of the times and a project that is calculated and well thought out for the medium it is in.

Peace.

Copyright RiFF RAFF

All Intellectual properties belong to their respective owners.
I own nothing except the words on this page.

""Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.""

Sources Cited:

Article (http://www.laweekly.com/music/becoming-riff-raff-how-a-white-suburban-kid-morphed-into-todays-most-enigmatic-rapper-4168686)

Hot Ones Interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iphqdyydiUs)

Peach Panther Commercial (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/see-riff-raff-hawk-peach-panther-in-bizarre-infomercial-20160624)

Rap Genius

Wikipedia 

A Literary Analysis of Freddie Gibb's Work In Pinata

As we all know, Pinata is a great album with amazing verses and instrumentals. With its one month anniversary recently i thought i'd post what I think of this album and the story I perceive.

Now Gibbs has stated before that Pinata was structured with the idea of a black exploitation movie (Shaft, Dolemite, Superfly) shit like that. And right off the bat we hear it in the first track.

Tracklist:

1. Supplier - Now a lot of these titles are really ambiguous and could mean many different things. I think this was intentional as Gibb's has a lot of layers to him and his songs than what appears on the outside. This sample "Only the strong survive" gets repeated a lot because it's basically the motto Gibbs is living and what a lot of people live that come from the hood.

• This song marks the entrance of a young Gangster Gibbs in the drug trade in his hometown of Gary.

2. Scarface - We see that Gibbs has progressed in his drugdealing ways, even comparing himself to Scarface in the title. This song gives us valuable insight because he actually mentions Gary, IN where he grew up. He describes some of the ordeals he's had to go through to become this powerful (stick ups, drug deals, killing,) and now he is a very wanted man.

• Gibbs is now a very respected and powerful drugdealer in Gary.

3. Deeper - Oh man, one of the most powerful songs on the album. This song is not only about this unknown love interest Gibb's has but the title could also be attributed to him diving deeper into the drug game and gangster life. The use of "Slammin" to begin every verse can be interpreted of slamming drugs, enemies, or bitches but changes for each verse. But while Gibb's mostly talks about his struggles, in this song the title of "deeper" can also be applied to this unknown woman who is also getting herself deeper into shit by fucking different men and now she is pregnant without knowing who the father is at the shocking twist at the end. I haven't been this surprised by the ending of a rap verse since Kayne's Gold Digger, it was so composed it took me by surprise.

• While Gibb's was getting deeper into the drug game (going to jail, all types of crazy shit) Gibb's girl was also getting herself into some deep shit too by fucking with other guys and not knowing who her baby daddy is, because she did a lot of this while Freddie was in prison he was really hurt and cut deep.

4. High - What do most people do when they have a tragedy in life? Well a lot try to relax with drugs and alcohol. This is where I feel Gibb's just takes a break from life to relax and smoke some weed. This song also provides background when he started smoking back in Gary, he had no ambition for school and weed provided him another way to make some money. 2nd verse it seems he doesn't miss his ex that much haha life goes on. Danny's verse actually provides us with more insight than Gibb's at least in IMO. The line "Midwest living, oven open in the kitchen, heating up the house where your shit could come up missing." vividly shows the scourge of hardcore drugs in the Midwest and just how living in the Midwest (Detriot, Gary) really is. The skit at the end illustrates the use and effect of hardcore drugs (PCP)

• Gibb's moves on and smokes some weed with his niggas. But what's funny to me though is immediately after the title "Deeper" we get "High" the juxtaposition makes me think that it was made like that for a specific effect. Like Gibb's needed to leave that girl so he could move on and acquire more wealth.

5. Harold's - One of my favorite beats on the album and always, always, always makes me hungry for a box of chicken myself. So what do you do when you get really blazed? You go get some food of course! Gibb's seems to fancy Harold's quite a lot, but what this song describes is some of the adventures he has in Gary like getting run out of Marshalltown & fucking a girl in Miller Projects. The resemblance between Gibbs and Harold's is that while Harold's is always on point with the dope chicken wings and other items, Gibbs is always on point with the drugs. This place seems to hold a lot of significance for Gibbs, because no matter what happens in the streets of Gary and the Midwest. Harolds will always be there and it will be bomb.

• Gibb's is moving up in the drug game so quickly that he is now dealing different types of drugs and doing more high stakes things. But no matter what type of shit he gets into, Harold's will always be there and will be good, it provides a point of stability in his otherwise random life.

6. Bomb - "Slammin Drugs got me wakin up in cold sweats Sometimes im slightly off my rocker, but i'm on deck."

This is the level Gibb's is at right now. He is fully immersed in the game doing crazy shit like smoking dipped weed(weed with pcp) and robbing hella people, shit evening robbing the robbers! That how crazy Gibbs is now. I love the Fast Freddie's line because it references Harold's the track before. The Raekwon verse offers nothing of literary value to this story and frankly I think is just average, but don't crucify me.

• Gibbs is an now insane dude who's only out for the money and pussy & he would do anything to get it. Like a bomb is dangerous because it could go off at any minute, so is Gibbs now.

7. Shitsville - Ahh Shitsville AKA Gary, IN. This fitting tribute to Gibb's hometown is great just for the sheer amount of IN he goes. Verse 1 describes Gibbs thoughts on his actions in his younger age, its funny (peculiar) how all these activities he's describing can happen in any hood which I think is another name for Shitsville. The chorus is illustrating, that even though people may have money, or power, or respect, they still all bleed the same and die the same. And only six feet separate the coffin and throne. Gibbs realizes this everyday which is why he repeats the chorus a lot.

• He realizes that he could die at anytime now for the actions he's done before; but so could anyone else.

8. Thuggin - Oh wow where do we even begin?

The sample "Somebody warn the west, nigga ain't runnin'" foreshadows Gibbs entrance into LA and the scene over there.

"Fuck the rap shit my gangsta been solidified."

I absolutely love this line, because it brings the past seven songs up to date and actually turns this into a loose narrative now. For the past 8 songs we've been hearing Gibbs tell us stories of drug dealing, robbing, and other trades. but now he has actually mentioned rap as another way of getting money but he doesn't need that shit to make a living. The lines:

"I done been to jail and did my best not to repeat that I’m tryin to feed my family, give a fuck about your feedback Critically acclaimed, but that shit don't mean a thing When you rocking mics and still in microwaves cooking 'caine"

further illustrates the work ethic of Gibbs and his dual lifestyle now.

• Gibbs is getting richer & crazier and now incorporating rap into his money making schemes.

9. Real Remember. Everybody. Ain't. Loyal

This means a lot of things, it could mean the prelude of the 2nd verse, it could also mean that you trust no one, especially Gibbs because he will rob you.

The line "All the real niggas either in jail or deep in the soil." means that to prove that you are real you had to have done something to prove it and really the only ways to prove your a thug is either go to prison or die doing it. Any other way is just not feasible.

Verse 2 he absolutely destroys Young Jeezy here. The changing of the instrumental also from a frantic one to a more mellow vibe suggests that Gibbs has sort of moved on from the drugdealer life and more into the rap life, not to say he hasn't left drug dealing, but focusing more on rapping. If you didn't know, in his early rap career Gibbs signed a deal with Young Jeezy's record label CTE, but Gibbs and Snowman had their differences as you can see and Gibbs left because he didn't like taking orders from a talentless, weak man.

• This song basically describes Gibbs early rap career and the ordeals and more importantly marks the transition from Gangster Gibbs the dealer to Gangster Gibbs the rapper, as marked by the instrumental changes. Gibbs is still in Gary, IN at this point in our story.

10. Uno - After leaving Jeezy's label he finds major drive to make it to the top or be number one(Uno). Gibbs is now #1 in Drugdealing and Rapping in Gary. This song describes more activites on Gibbs ludicrous lifestyle and comments on the state of the rap industry today, even taking a shot a Lil Wayne!

The lines: "Shit's been watered down, the rap game they need us." illustrate the use of rappers cashing in on a fake gangster image, while Gibbs has actually put in work and effort to live a life like that.

• So Gibb's is doing pretty well for himself by dealing and rapping and appears to be on top. Still rich, still crazy as ever.

11. Robes - Now what do we usually think of when we hear robes? I think of a rich person like Hugh Hefner or some shit like that. Robe's are generally a clothing item that are identified with money and status. So what a perfect title to describe the peek of Gibb's success so far. The features in this song don't really contribute to the story. I noticed that in the past 3 songs all of Gibbs verse's have started with something to do about rap. This is how we really know that he is moving away from his drugdealing ways into a more legit form of business. While he still mentions his various exploits he talks about rap subjects more often now.

• Gibbs is straight flexin right now because he's #Uno.

12. Broken - Just like everything that come up, it must come down. This song is about the demise of Gibbs in Gary, IN. Verse 1 starts off with him praying to Allah for a curse more than a blessing which is very interesting & describes a young Gibbs breaking a promise to his Grandma. But he only broke his promise of not selling dope because there was not a lot of other ways to make money.

Verse 2, Gibbs describes his relationship with his father and how he used to be a cop. He says that the only thing they had in common was being crooked. This is one of my favorite verses on the whole album, because we see Gibbs in a sincere way that we really haven't seen before. The line: "Honestly, I know i'm out here fuckin up."

Always gives me chills because it shows that Gibbs is smart enough to realize he's doing bad things, but because of all the bad things he's done in the past, because of the all the promises that he's broken he can only continue to go on doing bad things.

• Gibbs has fallen off in Gary, his karma has finally caught up with him and makes him question whether he should stay in his hometown.

13. Lakers - "Nigga fuck it, I'll move my ass to Cali with my Indiana bucket."

One of my favorite lines ever. and so direct too! The beat with it's sped up soul sample and shimmering guitar line just adds to the west coast transformation of Gibbs, because if you noticed a lot of the instrumentals before Lakers were very dark, sparse, and cold, very east coast; But that's because Gibbs was in Gary, now that he's finally made the move to LA we will see that the beats become a lot more bigger and more grandiose all adding to the west coast feel.

This is the most transformational song on the album, because it literally represent's a new life for Gibbs. A fresh start. It's also sort of like a dream come true because ever since he was young he's been influenced by films like Boyz n the Hood and now that he was here he had a chance to finally live it.

"Too much pride to let this pussy industry play me out Repairing that broken dream, that’s what L.A. about"

• Gibbs has made the transition to LA and has barely looked back on his hometown because LA is just so damn cool and it offers a lot more opportunities for the type of work Gibbs is good at for sure.

14. Knicks - In Keeping up with the basketball theme(Gibbs is really great at keeping up with themes throughout the whole album, often mentioning previous ideas of names of songs in other verses.) he choose the Knicks in reference to Nickelbags of weed. In this song Gibbs remembers the struggle of first coming up in the game, but it could also symbolize of coming up in the LA drug game too as he has had to basically start over when he moved. This is a short song but mentions the death of Gibbs friend and partner in crime Kinnel Magee. Basically Gibbs is saying that if you want to be big, you gotta start small.

• Gibbs is rebuilding his lifestyle and status in L.A slowly but surely while reminiscing about his past.

Bonus Track Terrorist - This song is not on the album but it's in the Shame video so i thought i'd include it too, and i'm glad/u/Gavo265 reminded me about it because it's a dope ass beat from Madlib and a nice recap from Gibbs. In just one verse, Gibbs brings us up too speed as to whats been going on in LA. Besides get girls addicted to heroin and basically him, and ethering record executives in interviews, he's been handling probation well by basically keeping his shit low key and getting more legit connections.

• The heroin line transitions well as it's probably one of the girls that Gibbs talks about in Shame.

15. Shame - The sample that begins this song is a tune by the Manhattans, which I thought was interesting because it keeps this East v. West theme from the past 2 songs. This song is all about the ladies. Now that Gibbs has rebuilt himself he gets to deal with the wonderful women of the pacific coast. Of course Gibbs has no time for a relationship but these girls think otherwise and often take walks of shame from his house even though he explicit states it to them in the beginning.

• Gibb's has now reached a comfortable position in L.A and he even has time to fuck with some bitches, he has completely rebuilt his life on the West Coast and is straight chillin'

16. Watts - I absolutely love crackhead monologues, which seems kinda weird but some of them just say the dumbest shit ever, like it's so dumb that it's impossible to think of unless you were on crack.

• Here Gibb's uncle Big Time Watts hears of Gibb's success in rapping out in LA and calls Gibbs to basically say fuck you for not sharing of the wealth with him. To me it seems like this voicemail is Gary calling Gibbs back; but Gibbs is not having any of that shit, he's in LA now and not looking back.

17. Pinata - Straight bars, but adds nothing to the story. Think of it like the credits to the end of the movie.

I hope you guys liked my interpretation of this great album and sorry for any punctuation or grammatical errors I wrote this in 1 hour between classes. But if you got all the way down here, thank you so much for reading!