Tag: Neph & Pap

Rx Papi – “Raheem Dead, Somebody Shot ‘Em” review

Rx Papi is a 28 year old rapper from Rochester, New York originally emerging under the original moniker Lil Fleechy. Beginning his music career when he was 9, he has since build up a solo discography consisting of 3 proper full-length studio LPs as well as 15 EPs & 11 mixtapes on top of 11 collaborative projects. Essentials of Papi’s include the sophomore effort Numbers Tell a Different Story, his 13th EP Foreign Exchange, his 10th mixtape 100 Miles & Walkin’ and lastly the Pack a Punch EP with Smokingskul to name only a few. However in light of his born day next month, he’s following up My Name is My Name by releasing his 4th album.

“U Gotta Believe Me” seriously has to be one of the best opening tracks to an Rx Papi project that I’ve ever heard from the sample-laced trap instrumental to Fleechy talking about those that ever doubted him whereas “You Must Love Me” mixes a pitched soul flip & hi-hats together addressing everyone who didn’t want to see him shinin’ at all. “Melinda Told Me” has these amazingly jazzy undertones to the trap production & Rx admitting he should’ve listened to what his mother had previously told him prior to “Designa” clashing these horns & hi-hats flexing on the lyrical side of things.

Meanwhile on “When the Smoke Clear”, we have Papi talking about being paranoid & the hood loving him similarly to DJ Clark Kent since they both hail from the City of Dreams giving a Detroit trap vibe to the beat, but then “Legends Never Die” is this soulful trap rock hybrid getting high & reminiscing over a special person in his life the other day that can’t be with us today. “Collect Call” returns to that Motor City trap sound asking if you gonna press 5 when he hits you up on collect & the bells & strings on “Made Man” are a great touch asking why you want war with gravediggers.

“Riggs” goes for a bouncier trap approach with instrumentally except with crooning background vocals & Rx painting images of the gangsta lifestyle while “You Gotta Be Crazy” expressing his annoyance at naggin’ ass bitches who think they know it all & how you’re really supposed to be ballin’ out here backed by 808s & solemn sampling. “No Deal Bill” taking shots at those who wanna see him on the bench when he’s out on the courts over more 808s & looped vocal harmonies behind it just before the cloudy, self-explanatory “Love Me While I’m Here” says it all.

Papi lets out true anger all throughout “I Need All My Money” responding to a hoe that the reason he’s so heartless being due to the fact that he grew up in darkness & “Something Seem Funny” samples Sade talking about everyone quickly ducking as soon as his squad hop out of their whips. The bell-heavy albeit exuberant “You Need Your Grass Cut” promising brody that ties will be cut if he ever catch him tucking his chain that is until the grisly “N.M.N.G.H. (Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt)” talks about putting any & all oops under pressure.

“I’m Only Gonna Say It Once” heavy builds itself around flipping “Gunz Come Out”, which happens to be my personal favorite song off 50 Cent’s officially released sophomore effort The Massacre cautioning that playing with his money will get you shot dead in your shit & the “Walked Me Into the Wild” beat is the same as “Town & Country” by Boldy James wanting an explanation for being lied to. “97 Harris St” saves the jazziest instrumental for last asking what a bitch want after getting 10 missed calls.

I’d love an LP from Papi on the same pedestal as the Foreign Exchange EP at some point & Raheem Dead, Somebody Shot ‘Em undoubtedly takes a step above the previous one My Name is My Name regardless of Numbers Telling a Different Story remaining as my favorite full-length of his. Being more gangsta rap & trap oriented cumulatively, it’s one of if not the darkest body of work in his discography filled with interesting sample selections with additional dark plugg, Detroit trap & pop rap undertones.

Score: 3.5/5

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RXKNephew – “Life After Neph” review

I believe this is the 10th full-length studio album from Rochester, New York emcee RXKNephew. Noted for his use of atypical beats & his comedic gangsta raps, he’s already built quite the catalog for himself since 2019 with his last 9 LPs as well as over a dozen mixtapes & EPs. Most notably Slitherman Activated, the Shawty RXK Too trilogy, the Crack Therapy series or singles like “Slitherman Conspiracy”. I was highly impressed with his feature on former G.O.O.D. Music artist Valee’s debut album Virtuoso earlier this summer so when it was announced a couple months ago by Andrew Barber of Fake Shore Drive that Harry Fraud was producing Life After Neph, I was ecstatic going into it.

“Pebble Beach” is a soulful trap opener telling the listener to come get some drugs calling himself “Uncle Jemima” whereas “Authority Figure” featuring Valee works in some synthesizer leads & hi-hats so both of them can team up to talk about refusing to let anyone take their spots in the game. “RX Instructions” by Neph & Pap takes a more drumless route as the 2 frequent collaborators join forces getting on their g shit just before “How I’m Coming” talks about spending time with himself over a jubilant beat.

Meanwhile, “Dub 4 U” shifts into groovier territory appreciating the beauties of life leading into “All Gone” featuring former 1017 Global artist Z Money brings the pair together over a more somberly instrumental asking where it all went. “Gotta Eat” gives off a cloudier flare explaining that we all gotta survive, but then TedsBudz has the album’s weakest feature on “The Roundtable” despite the atmospheric production & the lyrics about him grinding for a minute.

The song “Fine Wine” with Valee on the hook details his lifestyle & has a little bit of a cavernous trap vibe to the beat poppin’ shit every day talkin’ his shit while “Hunnid on the Dresser” clarifying that this ain’t a love track & that he’s puttin’ it on over a tropical loop hooked up to some hi-hats. And to end Life After Neph, the closer “Top Chef Neph” mixes these finger-snaps with synths to go on the grill real quick because “fuck the microwave”.

As someone who’s been relatively new to RXK for the past few months since Virtuoso, I highly recommend checking out some of that earlier material I mentioned in the beginning because this is an excellent way to introduce Neph to someone who isn’t familiar with him by now. His signature Lil B-inspired style combined by Harry Fraud’s signature sound truly happens to be a highly entertaining match & the guest contributions are mostly consistent.

Score: 4.5/5

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