Album: Los Angeles, Philippines Mixtape
Source: 2DopeBoyz
Tracklisting:
- Gunfire
- Bullet
- Molotov Cocktail
- History Of Angels
- The Rock Rock On
- Grenade
- Firearm
- Smoke Smarter
- Pow Wow Drums
- Heist
- Check
- Kill A Man
Note:
Straight, no chaser. That’s the effect that this mixtape has on you. There are no guests. There is no auto-tune. There are no sing-song choruses. Bambu and DJ Muggs stand in the midst of hip hop purity with, Los Angeles, Philippines Mixtape.
Many of our readers may not even know who Bambu is and what he is about. He has been in the game for a long time. He rocked spots previously in the group Native Guns, with his cohort Kiwi. Bambu is a revolutionist who is also an emcee. He is socially conscious. He is a family man. He has an ear to the streets. He is a galvanizing force in his community. He is proud of his heritage. All of the above shine through in his music.
DJ Muggs needs no introduction. His roots run deep in hip hop lore. His production is sought after all over the world and the man is revered wherever his name is spoken. So when these two decided to get in the booth and put together this mixtape, the end result is a foregone conclusion. This joint is just dope!
The track Gunfire, laden in string and horn samples, and a strong bass line is one of the strongest cuts off of the mixtape. DJ Muggs laces this track perfectly for Bambu. To say that this joint showed initiative is not giving it enough credit. Bambu wastes no time showing you where his head is. He gives credit to his Cali forefathers, Paris and Kam, for laying the foundation for social and political activism through hip hop. At the same time this joint reflects that “don’t give a f@#k” attitude that Bambu carries around. He doesn’t care what outsiders think about him. He will rep his town and his ideals to the death, of this I am sure.
Pow Wow Drums is a deep, deep track. We are in the times of an “anti-immigration” mentality and Bambu lets his extreme displeasure be known on this track. He goes directly at California and Arizona anti-immigration legislation. He talks about the fact that immigrants are responsible for doing tasks that a lot of US citizens would not even do themselves. It’s obvious he feels like a target and now he is doing his part to take verbal jabs back at the powers that be. And while DJ Muggs beat is dope, you can not help but focus on the well spoken perspective from Bambu:
Arizona rounding us all like cattle and sheep, pack us like animal meat, murdered on the land that we reap…
History Of Angels is one of those tracks that I believe everyone should hear. DJ Muggs’ beat is just heatrock. He uses heavy electric guitar licks and a thumping bass line. Bambu rips this track apart. He offers us the unique opportunity of a historical perspective from a long time resident. His vision and insight into the city of Los Angeles is powerful. He informs the listener of how gang violence was promoted between the races in the 1990s by the authorities. He gives you a thorough descriptive narrative of what it was like to grow up in LA. He drops knowledge on how the record industry exploited the inner city and hip hop. They were the ones who cultivated “gangster hip hop” and then spread that image across the world.
The Los Angeles, Phillipines Mixtape is a project that is full of dope music, but more than that is is filled with perspective and knowledge. It is filled with pride in heritage and anger in status quo. It endeavors to stimulate the senses of the listener. This isn’t your average mixtape by any stretch of the imagination. This project and the artist himself are the embodiment of political and socially conscious hip hop. It’s not just music, it is purpose!
Hip Hop Dependency 