Evan Nabavian doesn’t speak for all East Coast observers
To an East Coast observer, the Bay Area has always represented Los Angeles’s alien northern reaches. The Bay Area and its sound existed on the periphery of cultural markers like the Hollywood sign, G-Funk, Rodeo Drive, and Rodney King. Now, before you throw a Chuck Taylor at me (or its Bay equivalent), note that I’ve only ever spent two days on the West Coast and the only culture I absorbed was walking past some LA Kings fans. In New York, it was an exotic treat whenever the Bay’s sparse thump or its newest slang reached us. You’ll remember us being dickheads with our cars circa hyphy.
The minimal production on “Poetry” by Oakland’s YMTK (Young Murph the Kidd) is less jarring in a post-DJ Mustard climate, but deft crooning over pristine beats is still the most satisfying brand of party rap in 2015. YMTK sings in the style of Jeremih and Chris Brown’s club tracks –no vocal feats, just a smooth performance and a catchy hook and an appreciated Jodeci dap. A verse from Shmoplife originator Kool John clinches it. More than the spacey beat, John’s bouncy flow, attuned to parties and little else, provides a much-needed Bay Area fix.
