iiiDrops by Joey Purp

Over the past few years, the SAVEMONEY collective has been one of, if not the, most exciting things to come out of the diverse, ever thriving Chicago hip-hop scene. Spearheaded by the rise of emcees Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa, the lesser known members of the group have also quietly managed to put together a pretty solid body of work. Now, it's member Joey Purp's turn to step up to the plate, and on iiiDrops he proves that it is him who is next to step into the limelight.


From the bright organ keys and horns on the opening track Morning Sex, into the Pharell-esque dance beat of Girls, Joey Purp stretches his sound far beyond what's popular in Chicago right now. While you might go into this thing expecting the rattling hi-hats, blaring 808s, and bumping bass, you're instead presented with the same kind of varied, flamboyant production you might find on a project from the likes of Vic or Chance. Speaking of those two, they both pop up on the track listing, Chance on the aforementioned track Girls, and Vic on the album's victory lap Winners Circle, a track that's elevated by a wonderful piano melody and shining synthesizers. Fellow Chicagoans Mick Jenkins, Saba, and theMind also lend a helping hand on the project, with all three delivering solid contributions when given the chance.


It is, however, Joey Purp who truly shines on this 11 track collection, as the 20-something year old artist comes through sounding like a true veteran of his craft, swinging his pen like a dagger of sorts as he delivers lyrics that don't aim to impress, but instead aim to provoke feeling and resonate with the listener, something that is accomplished on nearly every track. His swaggering confidence is evident, while also digging into his tough upbringing with lines like "I sold crack/I'd be damned if I can't sell a rap" on the closing track Escape.

Cornerstore, the sixth track on the mixtape is the real showcase here though, as the jazzy, street rap instrumental features a prominent use of horns and is one of the finer beats that producer Thelonious Martin has given us up to this point in his young career. Purp is joined by Saba and theMind, and the three work together to paint a picture of their childhood in Chicago, a city which has constantly been identified as one of the most violent and dangerous places in the US. On this track however, Joey isn't looking to give a PSA on the dangers of his hometown, and instead is simply presenting you with an idea of where he came from, and how it's impacted him to this day. The song presents perhaps the strongest lyrical display on the album, and is highlighted with the lines like "and white kids deal with problems that we never knew to bother/arguing with they dads, we pray we ever knew our fathers" a line which allows Purp to again put an emphasis on his upbringing while also touching on rather personal and emotional topics without coming off as soft.

Going into iiiDrops, I was quite far from being a fan of Joey Purp, but I can't deny his abilities after giving this release multiple listens. From his brash delivery to his rugged voice, the young emcee exudes Chicago, while having the charisma and lyrical strength to separate himself from the rest of the crowded pack looking to find their sound in the streets of city. 

3.5/5

Check out the track Cornerstore below:

You can stream iiiDrops in full over on Joey Purp's soundcloud page here.

Who the Fuck is Chris Spencer? by Vic Spencer & Chris Crack

Underground Chicago based rappers Chris Crack and Vic Spencer have both been putting together some very solid projects within the underground hip-hop scene for quite sometime now. They are frequent collaborators, and on Who the Fuck is Chris Spencer? they deliver their first full-length album has a collective. While Vic Spencer is perhaps best known as the guy who exchanged diss tracks with fellow up and coming Chicago emcee Mick Jenkins late last year, he, as well as Crack, are both also known as on the rise hip-hop artists who are looking to use this release as a stepping stone to the next level of popularity.

The album is presented as a concept project, an introduction to Chris Spencer, as the project's title implies, and while you do learn that he's a wise cracking, beyond confident man who has no problem speaking highly of himself, that's about as far as the duo manage to take it. Their lyricsm isn't bad, and there are a plethora of clever lines that still cause me to chuckle after multiple listens. The best example of the quick-witted song-writing comes on the cut Ice Cubes when Vic Spencer spits the line "y'all get an A+ for sucking balls." It's simple, straight forward lines like this that the two specialize with, and when it's combined with the 90's inspired production of the album, it works quite well.

The downside, however, is that the production isn't always all that impressive. Instrumentals like the vocal sample driven beat of Zebra Ave or the strange synth based production found on The New Information aren't able to be redeemed by the rapping, because the two rely on their ability to ride the beat so heavily that when using an unimpressive instrumental, they end up failing to deliver. With that being said, there are also tracks where the samples are extremely well done and the beats help propel Spencer and Crack to a much higher level then they'd otherwise be on. Spencer has proven himself as talented behind the boards, and assuming he handled those duties on this project as well, he certainly came through with some of the best production I've heard from him on the album's better cuts.

As I mentioned, the two were clearly influenced by 90's hip-hop as the jazz based sampling and laid back flows are the driving force throughout. No Biggie is an exception of that rule, as the trap flavoured song features some hard-hitting bass and an aggressive flow from the two Chicago natives. At no point do they look to bring anything new or unique to the table, and that is perhaps just a byproduct of drawing as much inspiration as they do from the past.

Any fan of either of the two gifted emcees' should take the time to check this one out, and those not acquainted will find this to be an easy way of being introduced. Who truly is Chris Spencer? He's not anyone exciting or innovative, but when he's firing on all cylinders, he makes some truly enjoyable hip-hop tracks.

Favorite Tracks: Cue Ball, No Biggie, Drunken Monkee

Least Favorite Tracks: Zebra Ave, The New Information

Rating: 3.5/5

Listen to the duo's track Cue Ball below: