Kxng Crooked Is Coming After The #1 Spot. There Are No Friends In Rhyming (Audio)

In 2016, Kxng Crooked (fka Crooked I) released a stellar EP with Statik Selektah in the form of Statik Kxng. But that was last year. In his own words, the Long Beach, California MC is holding himself to a much higher standard in 2-0-1-7. Hopping on Kanye West’s “Real Friends” beat (released one year ago), the C.O.B. front-man lets the drums knock with lyrics that do the same.

Referring to himself asĀ  a “conscious warrior,” the Slaughterhouse member spits: “The #1 spot is what I’m comin’ after / I’m in the strip club turnin’ up with the mumble rappers / But I never fuck with actors / Since I was young and active / I hung with nothing but low key ballers, them humble factors.” This is a lyricist who can talk about driving Bentleys, being tied to the most controversial record label in the last 50 years, and tearing down freestyles like this one for more than 20 years. Later, he spits, “It’s in my DNA to rep the West on you haters / But sometimes I hate the way we sound, even our best songs / That’s why I wish ‘Pac would’ve had his vest on/In Vegas.” In the same verses, Crook’ honors the legacy of ‘Pac’s Thug Life band-mate Big Syke, as well as fellow L.B.C.’er Ricky Harris, and DJ Crazy Toones. All three West Coast artists died in the six weeks.

Kxng Crooked Pulls a Fast One On Killer Cops To Teach Them a Lesson (Video)

Crook’ famously watched ‘Pac record some of his music in 1996, before the eventual Kurupt protege would ink his own path to greatness at the same label Shakur made “new and untouchable.”