Don’t Sleep #4
Phonte - No News is Good News
North Carolina‘s very own Phonte, “your OG’s OG”. It’s amazing to me how the younger rappers and fans try to dismiss the Veterans in this game. If this was your first time hearing of Phonte you wouldn’t think he was that much older than Kendrick, Cole, and Drake, the 40 year old artist sounds extremely spry on this album. There’s so much good about this album, where does one begin?
”Tigallo to the rescue.” That’s how we starting the album. ‘To the Rescue’ is under two minutes but the intro let’s you know immediately what the fuck going on. The drums pop like the bat symbol for me. Phonte is spitting like old dude on the court that just has all moves AND is in better shape than most the dudes in the gym. Then he starts singing at the end and for me it was like “Shit. How did I forget how amazing OG was?” But he gave me a quick reminder.
We coming right back with ‘So Help Me God’ and sheesh. When you’re listening to the record you start to go “yeah he‘ll murder them niggas for sure.” When he says “they say they want bars but it’s unfounded, cause when they get bars they dumbfounded.” I just smirked and shook my head because of the accuracy of the bars. He just goes on this track and it’s pretty impressive. I loved the quote that placed at the end of the record. “You’re only as old as your ability to process new information.” That’s some shit to live with.
‘Expensive Genes’ is some of the realest shit I‘ve heard in a while and only a Vet would tell you to watch your health. It’s something that’s becoming important to me now at 25. But the way he broke it down on this record is dope. Then he goes into ‘Cry No More’ where he talks about his relationship with his parents. Coming off ‘Expensive Genes’ to speak on how his father passed away from unhealthy eating habits and his mother is smoker. I felt this because I lost my older brother to snacks and big meals, which didn’t stop me from indulging at all but now getting it together. Pastor Tigallo was telling a story I feel we all can relate to on these two tracks.
‘Change of Mind’ is my shit. I like to sing so I’m glad he gave me that record. For him to be as Great a rapper that he is, he shouldn’t be allowed to sing that way. Freddie Gibbs came on skated on this record. I can’t help but sing that “you’re a keeper and you know it.” Then to follow that with the ‘Sweet You’ with that sample dammit. I almost wrote a sixteen my damn self. The more I listen to this album (which is obsessively at this point) the more it just resonates with my Soul.
There was one more quote on this album on ‘Such is Life’ I wanted to touch on before ending this. “You are not what you do, what you are is how you do it.” Handle yourself with integrity. Get your shit the right way because no one cares if you won, if you cheated. You’re only the dude who cheated after that. Phonte dropped so much Game on this album, you have to respect the guys that seen shit you‘re on your way to seeing. Don’t dismiss those who have been around.
I want to say thank you to Phonte for this amazing body of work. It was a great reminder that taking care of yourself is important. To hear that in music after I’ve started my journey to a healthier lifestyle is greatly appreciated. Oh and ‘The Minstrel Show’ still slappin.