Harold Stallworth’s pen name is Don Cartagena.
At some point throughout their career, every rapper worth their salt cultivates a latin-tinged pseudonym: Escobar, Hovito, Champagne Papi. It’s a storied tradition. Shy Glizzy, arguably the most promising young talent Washington D.C.’s rap scene has to offer, becomes the latest to throw his hat into the ring with El Jefe, his fourth street album in half as many years.
El Jefe, the coy sobriquet of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, is a Spanish term for “the Boss” or “the Chief.” Unfortunately, the album doesn’t quite live up to its lofty namesake. At 18-tracks deep, its a bit bloated and considerably less thoughtful than Glizzy’s last full-length effort, Law 2. The heaviest record is a reworked version of “Free The Gang,” bogged down by a decent but superfluous verse from Plies. But on the plus side, the opening track, “La Introducción,” could be mistaken for demonic circus music. As a wise man once said, “the only thing worse than not getting what you want is not getting a carnival-esque rap song.”
Download:
ZIP: Shy Glizzy – Young Jefe
