As Q-Tip and the Buddha repeatedly instructed the youth, things move in cycles. The jerk movement only pindropped so far and like all dance crazes, it evaporated as soon as kids returned to school in the fall. Yet it ended up including many talented teenagers in its sweep: Y.G. and Mustard in particular. TeeFlii was peripheral. Pink Dollaz are still the best female rappers LA has produced since the Lady of Rage. From the Inland Empire came Audio Push, who got a deal on Interscope, released “Teach Me How to Jerk,” and were promptly sent to label purgatory.
After signing a new deal with HS87, the imprint of their childhood friend, Hit Boy, the group returned very strong last year. In particular, there was Come As You Are, which Craig Jenkins rightfully included on last year’s Most Overlooked Mixtapes List for Pitchfork. You can listen to it below the jump, along with the latest episode of Shots Fired. We talk about their career evolution from their jerkin’ days to recording with Lil Wayne on his tour bus last summer. In between, there’s discussion about the highs and lows of the industry: how they dealt with label turmoil, and why they have the Inland Empire on lock. In addition, Nocando and I talked about the difficulties of getting Mexican food on the road and the release of Lil Boosie.
