Altered Zones

The first time I mentioned Squadda B was when I had heard that Oakland's Main Attrakionz got caught up in some Mondre joints on their 808s & Dark Grapes mixtape. I must say that I was immediately taken by the title of Squadda B's new I Smoke Because I Don't Care About Death mix; it felt like a weird blend of harsh truth, hesitant pride, and slight humor.

Inside, we find verses about life, struggle, swag-- rapped mostly in an inspirational manner, with the occassional party sequence thrown in. But throughout there is a darkness hovering overhead, a perennial pressure to outdo one's self: to go big and make a name for yourself, 'cos otherwise you're just going to live in mediocrity until you die lonely and broke and a nobody. So why not smoke weed and sip codeine and write rhymes about how fucked-up life is, beefing the whole up with huge, Hot Boys-style beats and chopped wisps of female vocals?

My favorite couple of tracks on the mixtape squeeze multiple motifs into a single song. "2012" starts off cold and metallic-- much Main Attrakionz' "Legion of Doom," which Delorean posted in their Altered Zones guest post last August-- then warps into a cooled-out, summer anthem. (via Friendship Bracelet)

MP3: Squadda B ft. Robbie Rob: "2012"

I Smoke Because I Don't Care About Death is available for free download from Bandcamp