Bearing a lengthy Hip-Hop resume, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based MC, Reef The Lost Cauze (born Sharif Lacey) is a certified authority when it comes to the genre. From the Army Of The Pharaohs (A.O.T.P.) member’s  early days of battling, to his various mixtapes and albums, a current six-year window of podcasting, and simply just being a devoted pupil to the music that proceeded him, Reef possesses a wealth of knowledge in the chronicles and craft of lyricism.

In Reef’s fresh visuals for “Stay Golden,” the lead track off his upcoming album The Majestic (December 29), the Philly wordsmith pays homage to the golden era of Hip-Hop through a bevy of slick bars over a backdrop brimming with the some of the genres most iconic dignitaries’ music videos. Showing love for his city and the late great Prodigy by rocking both a Philadelphia Eagles jersey and a tee with the Mobb Deep co-founder’s likeness on it throughout the video, Reef’s smooth yet brawny and razor-sharp design pairs wonderfully with the Caliph-NOW production (The DJ/producer also makes a cameo in the video). Heads may recognize the elements from Naughty By Nature’s equally-sinister “Dirt All By My Lonely” nearly two decades ago.

Esoteric, Reef The Lost Cauze, Planetary & Blacastan Stage An Old School 2 On 2 Battle (Video)

The video, which was also filmed and edited by the versatile Caliph-NOW (along with shots from Kyle Quinn), has Reef presenting two loaded verses over the continuous background visuals of classic golden era music videos (taking place on a retro dial television). From Gang Starr, to A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, Mobb Deep, KRS-One, Wu-Tang, EPMD, and Public Enemy among many more, Reef permits a handful of shrewd lyrics that many of icons displayed behind him would approve of. With Philadelphia’s own The Roots’ video for “Clones” transpiring in the background, Reef brashly delivers, “When in the f*ck will you kids learn / You can’t hold claim to a name that you didn’t earn / I tried so hard to teach you guys / But you’d rather make milkshakes and seasoned fries.”

Reef and Caliph-NOW seamlessly constructed “Stay Golden,” allowing it to ring true to its title in a couple of ways. The alliance of sound and video, in this case, demonstrate Reef’s vast qualifications and hefty lyrical capabilities, while also being an audible and visual courier of the most influential and revered times in Hip-Hop history.

Like Bully Bars? Reef The Lost Cauze, Masta Ace & Jaysaun Got Somethin’ For Ya (Audio)

Reef The Lost Cauze will drop The Majestic on December 29, 2018. You can pre-order the album and check out the rest of Reef’s discography. Additionally, there are albums, merchandise, and bundles available through Germany’s Goons Gear.

Press photograph by Joshua Helter-Peller provided by Reef The Lost Cauze.

About Ready Or Not: “Ready Or Not” is Ambrosia For Heads’ platform for showcasing new videos and having you, the people, decide whether they are ready for primetime. Each week, AFH will showcase music from artists on the verge, looking for their seat at the table among Hip-Hop’s elite.