Originally published January 29, 2021.

Front Seat

This is what's driving hip-hop this week….

CJ’s “WHOOPTY” IS STILL RUNNING WILD with streams on streams and he’s back this week to prove he can do it again with “Bop.” Although he has his first banger on his hands, he has a lot of ground to make up. He’s new to drill, for one, having began his development making music that was akin to his Drake fandom. Another Drake fan is J.I. The Prince of New York. The young Brooklyn act has steadily been building up his arsenal and he’s poised to break out following his local heater, “Need Me.” Both acts are Boricua and they don’t need to wear it on their chest to represent. But through their lyrics and style, they pay homage to their roots. It’s a fresh feel for those looking for flag bearers.

Back Seat

Respect my mind or die from lead shower.

FOR THR MAY 2000 ISSUE OF THE SOURCE, Big Pun graced the cover, an arrangement agreed upon when the editors heard an advance of the Bronx wordsmith’s sophomore album, Yeeeah Baby, that Fat Joe had played for them. Unfortunately, by the time the magazine went to press, Pun had passed from heart failure. What was supposed to become a defining moment instead became a memorial tribute.

Throughout the issue, from the editor’s letter and album review (penned by Carlito Rodriguez, no relation but he’s my man’s and em) and cover story by Kim Osorio and Riggs Morales, the editorial team relayed how great of a loss this was for hip-hop. They made note of Pun’s personality, his lyrical ability, the family he left behind and the fans who were mourning. Aside from a brief mention of “100%” in the review and a passing reference to his being the first Latino soloist to go platinum, it wasn’t until the second to last paragraph of the feature story that Osorio and Morales wrote:

“See, Big Pun wasn’t just another rapper. Almost overnight, the Puerto Rock became the catalyst for Latino recognition in hip-hop music, opening doors for others to follow.”

From there, they cited his appeal to “party-seekers, lyric enthusiasts and street cats alike.”

The significance of his being Boricua was important but not more important than his ability. Yet, it’s not without notice that the scribes behind each piece were Latinx. They were, and still are, heads with impeccable credentials, but it surely must have felt good to see someone who looked like themselves also be one of the dopest. Representation matters.

Since that time, hip-hop has only flirted with Latin acts being among the best of the best.

Joelle Ortiz’s well received The Brick: Bodega Chronicles (2007) established him as one of the nicest lyricists to hold a mic. Though a bruising rapper with a tireless flow and bars for days, plus an early alliance with Jermaine Dupri, Ortiz nonetheless never ascended toward mass commercial success. In 2012, Bodega Bamz’s Strictly 4 My P.A.P.I.Z. mixtape launched him to notoriety in New York as he and the Tanboys combined with the ASAP Mob and the Flatbush ZOMBIES to remind the city they operate best with blunt ashes surrounding their feet and Henny stains on their boots.

“That was the first time in my life I saw the Puerto Rican flag waved on stage and the performers weren’t speaking Spanish but english with a northeast accent,” Def Jam marketing exec Justin Duran told me about going to Tanboys shows. “If you were lucky enough to be in New York when that was happening, it was amazing. What Philly was to State Property, that’s what Bamz and Tanboys were to the northeastern, Caribbean immigrant, from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, that whole pocket that has been underrepresented.”

And, or course, Cardi B’s Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 in 2016 lit her fuse.

But what gives? Where is the movement?

A quick look at the charts or DSP consumption reveal another wave is coming, this time less isolated to one act.

J.I. The Prince of New York’s “Need Me” is a regular on Hot 97’s airwaves and he was tapped by Spotify Singles program to cover Drake’s “Marvins Room.”

Meanwhile, CJ’s “Whoopty” is a certified hit (despite critics) and he was tapped by Busta Rhymes to appear on the “Czar” remix.

Suddenly, you don’t have to be Bad Bunny to be a Boricua in demand.

“There’s ebbs and flows in the US market being interested in cultures that aren’t theirs,” Justin opined. “Reggae will have a big resurgence, then go away. Electronic will have a resurgence then go away. To me, that’s the natural way of the consumer, the consumer lifecycle. People are more interested when it's in cycle. When it's your moment in the sub category, those moments need superstars.”

Ivy Rivera (aka Yung Bori), a veteran music industry hustler, who’s spent time at eOne Records, hosting her self-titled show and now teaming with Diddy’s lifestyle brands, agrees.

“When you have a hit that all ages love you’re outta here,” she said to me. “And CJ really hit in on the nail with that one.

“It’s rare to have a Puerto Rican lead, but it’s hard for me to be like, Yeah, when it should be, ‘As you should,’” she continued. “If you’re great, you’re great. If you happen to be Puerto Rican even better. I don’t differentiate anything by your background and roots, that's the cherry on top for me.”

When I spoke to Justin, Ivy and also Hot 97’s DJ Juanyto, what I enjoyed most was that despite talking to each of them separately, they all shared the common point of enjoying what could be a Latin emergence but more so because of the talent in skill first. All three were extremely high on J.I., who’s journey has seen him travel from reality TV participant to budding star. Juanyto, who’s Mexican, said it best, though, when he noted the kinship offers an extended familiarity. “You see people who are a part of your culture and it makes you want to be involved,” he explained.

Justin noted what he described as dog whistles in J.I.’s music, undetectable to most but if you’re in that group in the know, you can hear or see the musical roots under the artistic tree. He cited J.I.’s mispronunciation of Spanish words (everyone involved in this article could probably cop to that same challenge), his iced out rosary beads or the way he cuts his hair (waves that will soon disappear as he ages and his hair changes again) as examples.

For his part, CJ may have a hit on his hands, but the Staten Island native is still finding his voice. “Whoopty” is his first drill record after he started out with a sound that included more melody and Autotune. He now has the challenge of showing us who he is and also keeping up the pace of his early success. A good problem, to say the least.

J.I. on the other hand has steadily worked on his craft. He has more material available for public consumption and an ease in interviews. It’s easy to root for him.

He’s also more polished moving from genre to genre; he croons with Autotune, he raps and he’s collaborated with Latin acts, including Myke Towers and Sech.

While there’s been a slow drip of Latin acts in rap to bubble to the top, Juanyto expressed this problem doesn’t stem from a lack of talent as much as there being more pools to dive in for Latins. With the explosion of Latin trap over the past 5-10 years, American-born artists who speak Spanish have the option of pursuing rap careers that strike a more global base.

“It really depends on how they’re groomed,” he explained. “Everyone is different in their generation, how they grew up. You have to go hard one way, a rapper that speaks english or a rapper that speaks Spanish. You have to pick because it hasn’t been heard where someone is dominant in both.”

J.I. could be a pioneer. He’s inspired by Drake, who made inroads by being as good of a rapper as he was singer. The next iteration of that could be the young Brooklyn upstart.

Ivy, though, cautions, that the expectations won’t be lessened just because of where you come from if you aren’t bringing heat—nor should you press your pride too hard.

“You don’t need to do much proving when the proof is there,” she said of Hispanics in hip-hop. “I don’t need to yell so you can notice me, I'm here and I’m good. That's what I hope for. I don’t need us to fight for something that already exists. We’re great; you are who you are. There's nobody that should validate you because of your background. That's not the reason you're a star. You’re a star because you’re a star. Period. I don’t want [your heritage] to be the leading line in your story or the closing.”

Trunk

Music, links, podcasts and videos I'm checking for.

• Yella Beezy channels E.U. on the beat with his “STAR” featuring Erica Banks. Yeah-ee yeah. Ow. [Listen] (Ed. note: I covered Erica Banks in the newsletter before, which you can read about, here.)

• Rich The Kid x DaBaby “Laughin” [Listen]

• Questlove (and my brother Joseph Patel) got one with their “Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) doc: “ [Read] [Read] [Read]

• Lil Baby tells Billboard he’s ready to build on his 2020 in a big way. [Read]

• GQ connects with BRS Kash and they go deep on the “Throat Baby” rapper’s young career. [Read]

• Congrats to Sam The Hypebeast! [Read]

• Following in the steps of Apple Music, Amazon is also launching a content-channel dedicated to music, including documentaries and rare concerts. [Read]

• Roddy Ricch, 21 Savage, Jhené Aiko and Kirk Franklin to perform on iHeartRadio’s Living Black! special throughout Black History Month in February. [Read]

• Nas sits down with Rick Rubin for the Broken Record [odcast to talk growing up in Queens, why the Kanye album almost got him out of his zone and more. [Listen]

• The first trailer for Showtime’s Tekashi documentary. [Watch]

• “Chopped & Screwed: The Final Mixtape” trailer with appearances by Slim Thug, Trae Tha Truth, Bun B, Lil’ Keke and archival footage of the late, great DJ Screw. [Watch]

• Lil Eazzyy’s “Onna Come Up'“ remix with G Herbo gets a visual. [Watch]

• N.O.R.E. recruits Conway The Machine, Method Man, DJ Khaled and Dreamdoll for his extended “Outta Line”/“Going Up” music vid. [Watch]

Backseat Freestyle is written and produced by Jayson Rodriguez for Smarty Art, Inc. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to email me: [email protected]. And follow me elsewhere:

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